Neapolitan City
by LadyMeringue
Summary: Some wounds don't need time and fate to heal them. All they need is a reason to get healed, so that it can learn to live, rather than simply survive.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: When My Heart Missed a Beat**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

A beautiful April sun glistened over the roads of 13, Praimou Street. A man in his late 20's walked over the empty street, with the mastics, date plums and black pines throwing their shadows on either side of the road and a soft, cool breeze blowing by. The man had his destination in mind, an old establishment that was getting larger and larger in his sight with every step he took.

Five minutes later, the man now stood at the threshold of the establishment while the name 'Neapolitan City' looked at him from the board, with its somber colors of grey and white. The moment he swung open the door of the library, the smell of paper and moisture filled his nostrils with its slight discomfort, something that he had gotten accustomed to over the period of time. He took in the scent with a bit of pleasure as this place had now become a refuge for him. It was a place where he managed to come back to the crossroad of life and existence, a road that he had steered away from since a long, long time ago.

A small smile curled his lips as he entered the library with the usual spring in his stride, his shoulders stiff, and his Armani suit's last gleams fading away in the shimmering sunlight. He walked towards the librarian, who gave him a soft smile, a mother's caring look in it. The librarian was in her mid-50, plump with strawberry blonde hair and kind blue eyes. Ranveer walked up to her and handed over his book, a tattered copy of 'Death on The Nile', while the librarian accepted it and recorded the entry in her computer.

"As usual Mr. Vaghela, you never fail to return the books on time."

"I know the value of time, Mrs. Brandt." Mrs. Brandt smiled at him but her eyes were questioning.

"But I don't understand, Mr. Vaghela. You are the biggest diamond merchant and business tycoon in Greece. I'm pretty sure that you can afford to make a library in that _palace_ of yours. Yet you come here every week, like a form of revered worship, despite all of your hectic schedules."

One would have considered this a very bold and nosy question on the part of Mrs. Brandt, but neither did Mrs. Brandt find it so nor did the said Mr. Vaghela. He only smiled at her drily, his lips curling as though he was not in the habit of smiling regularly.

"Being the trustee of this place, I think I do have the permission to visit this place as and when I want, Mrs. Brandt."

Mrs. Brandt cocked her eyebrows up at the cheeky reply from the tall, lanky man whose shadow loomed on her table like a towering pillar of power, his face blank and gaunt, his eyes having the shadows of some horrifying past and his lips that could barely ever form a genuine smile. His smile had the quality of someone who had half a smile plastered on his face forever, unceasing and tireless, but never reaching his eyes.

"You are really one of the finest actors I've ever seen, young man." Mrs. Brandt gave him a shrewd look though her tone was not unkind. It held an undercurrent of badly suppressed sarcasm. Mr. Vaghela stared at her confused for a moment before it struck him.

"Well, what can I say? Everyone needs a hobby." Mr. Vaghela smiled at her sheepishly yet with a defiance meeting her eyes.

Mrs. Brandt chuckled at him while the man let a small smile creep up his face. It still didn't reach his eyes. Mrs. Brandt was aware of the look but instead of saying anything further, she opened the drawer of her table and removed another book. Mr. Vaghela's eyes ran up to them and it was as though suddenly, something flared within his eyes - like a spark of fire that spelt the most passionate of emotions of life in that one moment. Mrs. Brandt entered the name of the book in her computer and handed it over to him.

"Here you go, _Ranveer_. I hope this meets up to your expectations." Ranveer looked surprised for a moment by the use of his first name, but it wore off as soon as it had come. Instead, he now stared at the book absent-mindedly as he stroked the cover page, a distant smile on his face, his mind in some past reverie that was pleasant and had memories worth surviving for. Surviving, yes, not living. Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at Mrs. Brandt and saw her looking at him curiously.

"I really owe you big time, Martha." Martha smiled at him, as he thanked her graciously once more before walking towards the shelves in the vast library that was two years older than half a century.

Finding his favorite spot vacant as usual by the end of the 11th row by the window, Ranveer quickly walked up to the table and sat down, the hard chair far from the comfortable chintz ones back home, yet much more preferable to him. It reminded him of days when life was so simple. When _love_ was that simple.

Opening the copy of _Wuthering Heights_ before him, he let his mind drift off in calm oblivion as he usually did. He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath, as though he was about to plunge into a water body, and all of a sudden, he was united once again by the strands of living and surviving. Opening his eyes once again, he stroked the opening phrase of the book while he now felt alive, alive not his own shoes, but in the shoes of a stranger. In these moments of blissful reading, he would no longer be Ranveer Vaghela, business tycoon and the youngest billionaire. No sir. He would be someone else, he would live the life of that person with grace as he left his shabby life behind for the time being.

He would no longer be bound by the constraints of his dreadful past, nor his lifeless present, where each day after the other was just a struggle to survive and feed yourself and wear good clothes. There was no _life_ in it and his success was just a way of ensuring he had a purpose to survive. For he had died long, long ago and what remained of him right now was just a body. Neither soul nor life. He had lost his life to _her _three years ago, when she decided to walk out on him for good and lost his _soul_ the day she was sentenced to be hanged.

He had wanted to be there with her on the day it happened, for all his power and money had failed before her will to die. She, on the other hand, had jotted down her last wish before being hanged as to never see him ever and Ranveer was barred from all access. No one knew what had happened that day and from what the officials had grudgingly spoken, the _deed_ was done. That day, it would have been good if someone had forcefully hanged him too, but was there any point in it even? He was already dead, dead the moment he found out that she had died.

Ranveer read the book slowly and steadily, drinking in every scenario with greed and genuine interest. An uncanny memory kept floating up his mind, but he kept pushing it behind every time it happened so. As soon as he turned the next page however, _his heart missed a beat_. Not just a beat - several more. Ranveer looked up from the book, confused, for there was nothing on that particular page to have aroused such a reaction from him, yet there was _something. _Something about the air of the library which had changed.

His heart started thumping loudly in his chest, as though it was clearly beating for the first time, like it had been dead and had forgotten what it was to beat all this time. He felt a strange elation bubble within him while his eyes darted around the library, scanning for the presence that had caused his heart to flutter after what seemed like an eon. There was something magical and electrifying about the moment that was overhead, the power of which had paralyzed his mind to think anything because it was _feeling_. Feeling for the first time in three years.

In that moment, Ranveer knew that his life had changed _forever_. Though he didn't know how.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Wave of New Tidings**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Mrs. Brandt was seated in her small cabin located at the right hand corner of the library hall, handling the accounts of the library funds. Her head was bent over the various cash memos and bills that were spread out across her desk while hers brows were contracted in concentration. Just as she was about to make some last minute entries in her ledger, she heard a knock on the door. Mrs. Brandt's head perked up suddenly, surprised at the knock, for she was not expecting anyone at that hour. Her brows furrowed in confusion now, as she uttered a hesitant 'Come in'.

A girl in her mid-20's entered the room, her steps unsure but not weak while her hair was tied in a simple ponytail. Her clothes too, were simple - a blouse shirt tucked in a knee-length skirt. Her eyes shined onyx while there was a simple smile on her face. Her face was thin, with her cheekbones making it look very coquette while her face had a heart-shaped cut about it. She had the air of someone who had seen life at its fullest and at its worst, yet there was a very empty air about her. There was something very uncanny about her presence that reminded Mrs. Brandt of someone else that she had known, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Mrs. Brandt beckoned her into the room with an air of polite courtesy. The girl entered with an easy grace and took the seat on the other side of the desk. Mrs. Brandt interlocked her fingers under her chin while she surveyed the girl before her carefully.

"Tell me darling, how may I help you?"

"I heard about your advertisement in the paper through my friend. So I thought I'll appear for the interview. The vacancy is still open, right ma'am?" The girl spoke in a gentle yet confident tone that managed to catch Mrs. Brandt's attention instantly, for her judgment on the girl based on her looks had been downright incorrect.

She was momentarily taken aback, for she could read anybody as easily as a book. She made a wrong assumption about a person only once before in her entire life and she did not like being proved wrong. However, she was much wiser than most women when it came to things like these and decided to hear the girl out rather than sit in brooding judgment.

"Martha will do, dear. And yes, the vacancy is still open." Mrs. Brandt smiled at the girl as the latter handed over the file she was holding in her hand across the table.

Mrs. Brandt accepted the file and opened it, flipping through the papers that were a part of the girl's portfolio. She had an impressed look on her face while the girl watched her keenly. But the look soon changed into a one of bewilderment.

"I don't understand."

"What happened ma'am? Is everything alright?"

"Yes. I mean no. You have excellent credentials and your degrees can get you into any fine law company. Then why do you want to take up the job of an assistant caretaker in an old and rusty library?"

The girl smiled simply and it somehow seemed to frighten Mrs. Brandt. She realized in that moment who the girl resembled in this nature and sure enough, when the girl spoke, it confirmed her suspicions.

"Ma'am, in these tender years, I have seen both life at its best and worst. But the past is now the past. And I cannot face it anymore. I have been here in Greece for three years now, surviving on basic sustenance and I'm happy. So long as I have a roof on my head and food to fill me up, I want nothing else. The only thing that I now long for is peace of mind and what better place can one get that from but in the sacred worship of a library?" The girl looked up at Mrs. Brandt earnestly while the latter looked shocked for a moment before she appeared calm and composed once again. Why, this girl spoke exactly like the strange Mr. Vaghela!

"You youngsters these days really surprise me. You have your entire youth and age before yourselves, yet you decide to while away these privileges of life and prefer sinking into an endless abyss of sorrow and grief. I bet, you too, like countless others, have suffered from a heart break or else have sacrificed a love too great to be let gone?" Mrs. Brandt's tone was not unkind, ye there was an exasperation that was not bothered to be kept concealed.

"Mrs. Bra... Martha, I know that I sound like a silly little goose for talking such kind of things, but trust me, this isn't what you think it is. All my life, I have done everything for the sake of the happiness of my near and loved ones. For once, I want to do something that makes me happy. Is that too much to ask for?"

Mrs. Brandt surveyed her carefully through her round glasses that were perched on her nose like a proud eagle. There was something all the more familiar about this girl with every passing minute. Not her face, but her characteristics. There was a strange defeat about her as though she had fought the battles of a lifetime and had just surrendered because she was tired of the countless attacks and deaths of emotions and feelings. But there was something in her eyes that wanted a new life, a wave of new tidings.

"Well, you seem to be the perfect candidate for the job, darling. But just the same, I do want you to consider your decision one more time."

"Ma'am, I have made my decision. I do indeed want to work here and I have weighed all my options before coming for this interview today." Two pairs of defiant glances met each other before the older ones backed away.

"Alright, you can join here from tomorrow. You'll have to be here sharp at 7 in the morning and you can leave from here at 5. I'll explain the job to you tomorrow."

* * *

Ranveer shut the book impatiently after an hour, for he could no longer concentrate over his book. The aura of the library seemed to have changed all of a sudden. He felt more hopeful, his heart was beating more freely than it had ever done in three years, yet he did not feel happy. It was as though his own body was betraying him by feeling emotions he had no right to feel anymore.

Ranveer stood up, deciding to go home and continue reading his book, for his concentration was constantly getting interrupted by the sudden excitement in his heart when there was nothing around him that could make him react so.

It was while walking towards the main desk where Mrs. Brandt would sit that Ranveer remembered about collecting the accounting details of the library funds from Mrs. Brandt. Taking the detour, Ranveer headed for Mrs. Brandt's cabin instead of walking to the entrance door. As he headed closer, he could hear two pairs of slightly muffled voices coming through the door. He was certain that one of them belonged to Mrs. Brandt but he could not make out the other voice.

There was a very warm and welcome note in the other voice and Ranveer's heart only seemed to tug at him harder. The voice felt familiar, friendly and it was as though his heart had a connection with it. He could not understand what was the matter with himself and why was he reacting to everything in such a peculiar manner. He had his palm on the doorknob and was somehow tempted to swing the door open unannounced before the cold hand of common sense fell over him. He could not obviously enter into someone else's cabin without their express permission. That was completely tactless.

Yet he had a strong desire to do just the same. But he knew that would not be possible, because even if manners and etiquettes were to be kept aside, he knew that Mrs. Brandt was one person who simply detested such an action and had often seen her fly into rages that were worse than the stormiest of storms.

Several times, people were thrown out of the library for such discourteous behavior and Ranveer could never have seen a person blacker in rage in his entire life than Mrs. Brandt in those moments. If Mrs. Brandt was a dear in her best of moods, then she was certain no less than a fiend when she was at her worst. And Ranveer had no intention of being on the receiving end of one of Mrs. Brandt's firings. He was more than certain that should he do any such thing, he would be banished from the place forever.

Instead, Ranveer knocked the door and he could hear the conversation ceased. Mrs. Brandt's voice reached out to him.

"Who is it?"

"Mrs. Brandt, it's me. I just needed the ledger today. May I come in?"

"Oh dear, sorry. I'm in the middle of an interview right now. Besides son, the book is not ready yet. Will it be alright if I sent it across your place before dusk?"

"That'll be alright, Mrs. Brandt. I'll be taking my leave now. Do pay me a visit when you are coming to leave the ledgers. There are a few things that I need to discuss with you."

"Alright. I'll be there by 7."

Ranveer still had his hand attached to the doorknob yet somehow, he couldn't leave it. It was as though something was within the door, something his heart was stuck to. Ranveer felt that if he left the doorknob, his heart would lose itself forever and he would be letting go of that one string of hope. He felt really stupid for having such kind of treacherous thoughts in his mind and grudgingly, he separated himself from the doorknob and left the library.

* * *

After another 10 minutes, Mrs. Brandt and the girl got up and shook hands. Overall, Mrs. Brandt was impressed with the girl and had reasonably high hopes that the girl would be able to do magic with the library that was slowly and steadily running into ruins that age had cast over it. The girl shared common courtesies with Mrs. Brandt and was about to leave the room before Mrs. Brandt exclaimed out loud.

"Welcome to Neapolitan City, Ms. Parekh."

"Ishaani will do, Martha."

Martha smiled at her in understanding and Ishaani returned the smile before leaving the library, a hope bubbling in her heart. She had finally taken her first step towards life after three years.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: When I Set My Eyes upon You Again**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The books shone on the shelves as Ishaani took steady rounds around the library, the bright morning sun gleaming in and giving the library a surreal glow. The library a month ago would have been dull and mysterious, like some ominous secret lurking among the various vast shelves of books, cobwebs and dust suspended in a limbo, a warm yet suspicious atmosphere. It had the feeling of known tragedy, as though thousands of souls had drowned their guilty secrets and existences within the hearts of various books. They took refuge in the dim atmosphere of the library, for the darkness and somber lighting was much more in level to their mental agonies than the bright and glorious light of the present day.

But any of those returning to the library two months later would have been shocked, for the library had been transformed. Not in any elemental way, yet the feel of the library had changed. Where the morning sun was restricted in the library, now the curtains lay in neat folds of a pattern while books bathed in the free light of the sun, the forgotten covers learning to live in the blast of golden light once again. The library no longer had a shabby and long-forgotten look about it. It was now clean and dapper and looked much younger than one would imagine it to be. The dust and cobwebs had been viciously thrown away and the countless rows of shelves looked inhabitable. Mrs. Brandt looked around the library with a proud look and her eyes fell on her new assistant caretaker.

The girl had managed to convert the library into a magnificent hall of unworldly worship and Mrs. Brandt could not have been happier. Finally, the library funds were being utilized in the best possible way. Ishaani was strolling through the various rows, making sure that the readers there were comfortable and solved any queries they had about any book and fulfilled their needs precisely. She had managed to learn the location of almost every book in the library, old and new and she was the best guide to the customers. Mrs. Brandt took an instant liking to the way Ishaani had managed to run the library this efficiently and had taken off a huge load from her own ageing ones.

"Ishaani sweetheart, do sit down for some time. You have been pacing about all this morning."

"No it's alright Martha. I like walking about." Martha glared at her fiercely and before another word could be uttered, Ishaani quickly hurried up and sat beside Martha out of frightful respect. Smiling by the way Ishaani scurried and came to sit next to her, Martha patted her head affectionately before saying.

"Sweetheart, its 11 right now. You can leave for home after 1. You have to be ready for the party at 6. I don't want you looking this fagged out." Martha looked at Ishaani's pallor with dissatisfaction while Ishaani looked at her embarrassed. She groaned inwardly at the thought of the party. Martha was always responsible to give a tour of Greece's most respected library that ages beyond half-a century and had somehow become a type of sacred monument in the rapidly evolving city. And since this particular group of people were delegates in the Canadian Government and came from the upper circles of Canada, there was a supper party thrown in their honor the very same evening.

"I don't suppose that they would be too happy to see me around if they knew I had a police record." Ishaani spoke viciously at the thought of having to fake herself in front of strange foreigners for the evening tonight and the thought of it irked her immensely. In these two months, Martha and Ishaani had formed a very strong bond, a bond that only two people coming from different countries and backgrounds altogether with a common miserable past could form and the two women had almost known each other's entire life story by the end of these two months, except the names of the people actually involved in their past. They both preferred the anonymity rather than the painful bits of memory that came along with the names.

"Don't get cheeky now, dear. Your police record was less of a crime and more of a self-sacrifice, though if I were the police, I would have ensured that you were sentenced for an extra six months just for being such a big obstruction of justice with that crazy mind of yours." Ishaani glared at her, but the corners of her mouth twitched steadily. In these months that they had worked together, Ishaani and Martha had been quite frank with their opinions about each other and had never bothered about courtesies. The two of them had found a good listener and the perfect friend with whom they could relate anything and everything.

"Besides, we both know that it's not going to be as horrible as you are making this out to be in your mind. So stop fretting and make sure you put on your best dress tonight. If you are in luck, I'll be able to introduce you to the trustee of this library today. I've heard that he's back in town." Ishaani didn't look too interested before, but at the name of the trustee being mentioned, she suddenly sat up like a cat.

"Well, at long last! I've been meaning to meet him since so long and fin-"

"Darling, I'm not talking about Mr. Ambrose." Martha cut Ishaani mid-sentence.

"Then who is it that you are talking about?"

"It's our new trustee. He's been giving the maximum donations from the last three years."

"I didn't ever hear you mention his name before." Ishaani looked surprised. There was some strange unknown element of mystery that seemed to have caught her fancy.

"That's because he's a secret trustee. He's vouched for anonymity and that's why I'm bound by it. Can't tell you anything more about him."

"If that's the case, then why do you want me to meet him tonight?"

"I've been mentioning you a lot in my daily reports, according to his observation. And from what he has surmised, he is quite happy with the way you have been running about the library. That's why he's interested in meeting you." Ishaani looked surprised for a moment, but understanding dawned over her.

"And exactly_ what_ is it that you have been mentioning about me?" Martha turned a reproachful glance towards Ishaani, but the latter could see a lurking guilt hidden behind the reproachful glance.

"That's a very personal and rude question to ask someone, you know!" Martha looked at Ishaani with innocent eyes, but the latter saw right through it. Ishaani flared at her.

"Aha! So you have been trying to set me up with this trustee guy so that I can end up working for him instead of in the library!" Martha dropped all the remaining pretenses and looked straight at her while Ishaani gave her an exasperated look.

"Look, I'm going to be straight enough with you on this. We both know that you are not at all suited for this job, not in terms of competence, but in terms of your skills being utilized. And I've told you this before too, that my main purpose of hiring you was the fact that I needed a temporary help in order to set my affairs straight and I will not have you working here like this, when you have got all your life ahead of you. Life, that is much more beautiful that the four walls of the library. Besides, the trustee is not an easy man. He will be observing you tonight and only if he finds you competent enough to handle his affairs, will he decide to consider you as a candidate for the vacancy his company is offering currently."

Ishaani had opened her mouth several times to cut in, but Martha had held up her hand steadily. The moment Martha finished speaking, the two women stared at each other for a few moments before Ishaani spoke slowly.

"Martha, I really appreciate what you are doing for me. I really do. But I really do prefer the peace of this library to-"

"To what? Ishaani, you have been a very dear friend to me and something closest that I've known to family in these many years, so I'm telling you this. I won't have it on my soul to see you throw your life away like this. When you wanted a new beginning in life, I decided to give you one, but it's time you learnt to swim, darling. There is no point in living life like this, not when you have so much to see and so much to learn still. So please. If not for your sake, at least give this a try for my sake. And besides, in case you are rejected today, you are welcome to work here for as long as you want. You have my word."

Ishaani stared at Martha hard before she spoke once again, her eyes set afire and her tone hoarse.

"But you know I will be selected, don't you? You are pretty confident about it?" Martha smiled at her sweetly, her eyes giving out a flame of its own before she replied.

"Make sure you're in your best dress tonight and I think you can call it quits for the day."

* * *

Ishaani reached the hall at 10 minutes to 6. She walked confidently ahead, her velvet green dress flowing in the breezy air of June, her gown glowing gorgeously in the rapidly falling sunset. Her gown was a turtle neck gown, sleeveless, netted from her neck till her neckline and a rick silk from below the net, flowing beautifully over her precise figure. There was a slit to the side of the gown, revealing her glowing, milky legs from below her left thigh. She had her hair left loose that flowed in perfect curls till her back while her eyeliner went perfect with the light compact on her face.

The gown had been her only one that she had bought for any emergency social function and she could not have been more in luck. As she walked by, several of the guests turned around to look at her, eyeing her curiously while some were stunned by the breathtaking effect of her attire. As Ishaani walked inwards, she could not help but admire the effects of the decoration that Mrs. Brandt had sent upon the place.

Mrs. Brandt had banned her for helping her at all in the preparations, as this was Ishaani's first such party and wanted the effects to be a surprise for her. The place was an open ground pasture, grass neatly trimmed and unwanted weeds plucked out while various trees stood there, providing glorious shades of light in the natural ambience. Half a dozen candle-lit tables sat there in the open air while lanterns were hung over the strong braches of the trees carefully. Daffodils, orchids, vines of bougainvillea, and hyacinths were decorated on the various poles of the open-headed marquee set-up, their fragrance fresh in the air while there was a small band of 5 people playing the classic Canadian hits of all time.

Ishaani spotted Mrs. Brandt from a distance, who was dressed in a violet taffeta gown, her cheeks pink and glowing with blushes and praises simultaneously while she was busily chatting away with someone who was standing in the darker section of the marquee. Meeting several of the guests from the delegate while making sure that they were all comfortable, Ishaani finally made her way to Mrs. Brandt, who had just finished her conversation with the unknown man and had walked towards her.

"Darling, don't you look gorgeous! And you are right on time. Our trustee is right here!" Martha caught hold of her hand and guided her to the crowd, until they were standing right behind the trustee, who was busy in animated conversation with one of the Canadian delegates. Tapping him on the shoulder, the man turned behind and two simultaneous gasps died away on their lips. Mrs. Brandt, unaware of the reactions from the other two because of the music, continued her introduction in a jolly tone, even though the atmosphere had turned cold all of a sudden.

"Mr. Vaghela, this is the girl I wanted you to meet. This is the very exceptional Ms. Parekh that I've been talking to you about."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Ghosts of the Past**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani stared at Ranveer wide eyed. There was some unwarranted emotion bubbling within her, but she could not understand what it was because her mind was in a blur, sailing through a mist. It was as though time was misplaced while she was standing on the edge of a paper, her one fall on either side determining where life took her next or what life would throw at her next. But somehow, amongst that blur, there was one thing that cut clear through the mist. Ranveer's cold eyes.

She had seen them widen in shock in that moment - disbelieving and something more. Something, which she could not really define. But there it was, something that had sprung to life at her sight. She tried to smile at him, but her lips wouldn't move. But Ranveer's eyes settled back into cool buckets of ice the next moment, ice that somehow restricted her own breathing. This was a look that she did not like _at all_.

She had imagined this moment every single day in her life, not daydreaming, but in the nights, where her dreams and nightmares contained this one moment alone that seemed to stretch during the entire night. That moment was always filled with suspense and anxiety, where each night, the version of the dream altered, sometimes Ranveer accepting her into his open arms, sometimes ignoring her, sometimes walking away from her or she walking away from him after being unable to face his eyes, sometimes simply stationery, as though he clearly did not believe her, or sometimes just holding on to her.

But now that the moment had _actually_ happened, she realized that she was not ready for it. She would never be. And Ranveer's reaction made her realize that. She would have borne anything - him yelling at her, hugging her, crying for her, angry at her, _anything_, but not this cold ignorance. She could never bear that from him. The moment she made a proper eye-contact with him, Ranveer curled his lips, in what was supposed to be a courteous smile, but it only frightened her.

"Ofcourse you are. It's a pleasure to meet you, _Ms. Parekh_." There was no pleasure evident in his voice neither did his eyes betray any emotions apart from the cold curtains. There was a curt and cold tone to his voice, something that Ishaani identified as a strict business voice. It was as though something had died within him, something that robbed him of everything and left a shell to walk around. Unfortunately, the shell left behind was so cold that it made her recoil. She did not know _him_ anymore.

But if this was how he wanted to play it, she was willing enough to let it be.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Vaghela." Ishaani was surprised, for she was certain that the voice that had escaped her lips could not be her own. Her voice was as cool as his, a strange detachment latched along with it, a polite courtesy accompanied alongside. Her voice was nowhere close to the malicious fear in her heart.

They stared at each other for several more minutes before Mrs. Brandt broke up their party.

"_Mesdames et Messieurs_, could I have your attention please?" Everyone turned around to see Mrs. Brandt standing in the middle of the marquee, along with a tall, middle-aged man, who Ishaani recognized to be the other trustee of the library, Mr. Ambrose.

"First of all, a very warm and heartfelt welcome to all of you in this lovely city of Greece. And an even more heartfelt welcome to this library of ours, that has now been a monument of wisdom and strength from the past fifty years." A gentle round of applause went about while Mrs. Brandt waited for silence to reign once more before she continued.

"Now that you all are in this city of ancient customs and traditions, it's time we gave you all an insight into a traditional Greek party. As is the custom of our parties here, a round of waltz is a must before we get befuddled with the _apperitifs_ and the _hors d'oeuvres_." Smiling benignly at the crowd as every single person's eyes were on her, she clapped her hand twice and the band played a tune from the song "Loveless" while Mr. Ambrose took Mrs. Brandt's hand in his own and led her into the opening dance.

Following suit, each and every single guest had a partner after 20 minutes, save for two or three, who preferred to watch others dance rather than dance themselves. Ishaani looked at the happy couples dancing, having refused several of the men who asked her to dance, for her mind was lost in the episodes of the past. A tear fell from her eyes as she remembered several of the parties at the Vaghela mansion from three years ago, where Ranveer would always lead her to the dance first and the two of them would dance to their heart's content. Ishaani shut her eyes, as she could remember the touch of Ranveer's hand on her waist, a touch that was as electric in her memory as was in reality.

Sighing, she opened her eyes and looked towards Ranveer once again, who was already staring at her, a curiosity filled in his eyes, some long lost memory fading away rapidly. Slowly, he held out his hand to her and asked her simply.

"Would you like to dance with me?" Ishaani stared at him hard for several moments, her mind torn between running away from the party where his eyes could never reach her again and simply accepting his hand. Finally giving a resigned look, she accepted his hand and he led her to the center of the hall, as he put his hand around her waist and Ishaani threw her hand over his shoulder. Their fingers interlocked and they swayed in the rhythm of the song, their eyes locked in a battle of eye lock while the band now played 'Den of Love'.

Ishaani let herself fall free into Ranveer's arms, her tired head finding refuge in his strong chest, her arms and feet moving in accordance with the rhythm of the music, their breathing even and calm. Ishaani took it as a good sign that Ranveer did not push her away from himself nor did he walk away from her abruptly, but instead, just held her in his arms, his head leaning over hers while she breathed in his scent, just like old times and for once, the world seemed to become a better place.

When Ishaani felt strong enough, she looked up at Ranveer once again and her eyes brimmed up. His eyes stared into her own - empty and lifeless, his face devoid of any feelings or emotions. Ishaani turned her face away for she could not look at Ranveer anymore, his eyes now only empty basins, where once pools of love resided within them, his eyes afire with love and passion for _her_. Her strength in life was always that pair of eyes that would give her the will to fight anything and everything.

But today, those same pairs of eyes had dismantled her completely. Three years of pulling herself together had shattered within one moment, this empty look from Ranveer burning her insides. There were countless number of things that were unsaid between them, weighing and pressing around them from all angles, but neither of them had the strength nor will to confront those brutal wounds from the past anymore.

The moment the song got over, they disentangled from each other gracefully, Ishaani's fingers still tingling from the prolonged contact with Ranveer's fingers and the last prickles of excited adrenaline leaving her body. She quietly walked away and occupied a seat on the nearest table, where Mrs. Brandt was now sitting alone.

"So, it looks like the two of you got along just fine." Ishaani looked at Martha and smiled in spite of herself. Martha noticed her pale pallor and looked confused.

"What happened? You look completely pale. Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Just feeling really tired."

"This was precisely what I was worried about. You weren't looking well enough to me these past few days."

"No, it isn't that Martha, I just..." Ishaani trailed off, her eyes staring into the distance where Ranveer was once again in conversation with another delegate.

"Is it _him_?" Ishaani looked shocked for a moment, her face draining of the little color it had. She could not imagine how Martha could have found out about the two of them, but then it struck her. She wasn't talking about Ranveer directly, but was instead referring to Ishaani's anonymous love and husband.

"Yeah... It's just, I really miss _him_ today. I don't know how he-"

"Shhh. It's alright. I understand." Martha held her hand gently and Ishaani looked at her gratefully. Ishaani shut her eyes for a couple of minutes and relaxed herself and poised a calm that her mind did not even remotely feel. Opening her eyes once again, she nodded reassuringly at Martha. Taking it as a sign that Ishaani was alright, Martha got up and once again returned to tending her guests, leaving Ishaani lost in thought.

* * *

Dinner was a sumptuous affair. After the end of their 7-course meal, all the delegates were talking and chattering, light banter filling up the now drowsy air. Ishaani and Ranveer did not get any chance for another rendezvous, for they were both separately handling the guests on opposite sides on the marquee and playing the perfect role of gracious hosts.

Ranveer was going to have all the delegates lodged at his place for the night and as the night prolonged, the guests were escorted to Ranveer's mansion, the drivers of the respective delegates being given the location while their belongings were already awaiting them back at the host's house. After having escorted nearly all the guests, Ranveer, Ishaani and Mrs. Brandt were the only ones remaining along with the cleaning staff while the band had finally taken their leave, happy that their remuneration was paid well.

Suddenly Ranveer, who was on the other side of the marquee, heard loud bickering from the other side and heard Martha and Ishaani in a heated argument. Walking up to them, he cleared his throat softly and the two women stopped abruptly.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, I've been asking Ishaani to stay over at my place tonight, because it's really late and the place where she stays is pretty dangerous for a girl at this time of night. Lots of muggings."

"So, what's the problem then?" Ranveer directed his question straight at Ishaani, his eyes cocked up in skeptical confusion while Ishaani glared at Martha. Looking back at Ranveer, she muttered furiously.

"Martha lives in a studio apartment. There is no place for two people to stay. Besides, if I end up occupying the apartment, Martha won't really have much place for herself and I don't want to burden her." Martha was about to retort when Ranveer held up his hand.

"You can stay over at my place for the night." Martha looked surprised and Ishaani shocked. Ranveer continued as though their expressions were blank slates. "I have all the delegates over and you can stay over too. It's not as though you would be all alone in the house. Lodge over tonight and you can leave the next day."

"But my car and my belongings-"

"That can be arranged for."

"Ran... Mr. Vaghela, your offer is generous enough but-" Ishaani had a pleading note in her voice but Martha cut her off.

"She'll lodge over at your place, Ranveer. Thank you for being such a dear, son, you've solved quite a problem for me." Martha smiled at Ranveer and patted his face affectionately while she looked at Ishaani closely, hoping that Ishaani wouldn't contradict her. She didn't.

Ranveer looked at Ishaani before asking her softly.

"Shall we?" Ishaani looked at him and nodded reluctantly. Martha smiled and bid them goodbye, her house three blocks away from the hall. Ranveer walked towards his car and Ishaani followed him silently, both lost in their own train of thoughts. Ranveer went and sat over the driver's seat and Ishaani occupied the side passenger's seat with the past's reflex instinct before she snapped her head and looked at Ranveer. Ranveer looked at her and smiled. This was not as frightening as the one in the party, yet it wasn't any much better than the last.

"My driver will be escorting your car to my place."

"Oh, okay." Ranveer started the car and the automobile sprung back to life while he steered the car out of the drive and back on the road. The car was as silent as it could be, but there was a warmth in the air, a warmth created by several pleasant memories that were unlocked unconsciously from the past, where the two of them, from a different time, had gone for several such drives like this, first as friends, then as life partners.

What they were _now_, was still questionable.

Ishaani looked out from the window, the cool breeze whipping her face, its effect stinging yet relaxing. The memories from the party kept resurfacing in her mind, her dance with Ranveer in particular. They hadn't spoken a word of acknowledgement to each other and were as good as random strangers meeting for the first time, yet there was an undercurrent of _something_. Something that ran much deeper than they both knew. Ishaani, for the life of it, could not understand why Ranveer was behaving like this, but it did not hurt her at all. It was as though her heart was too numb to know pain and too dead to have hopes anymore.

Out of the floating memories of the night came up the strongest memory of all, the memory of her freely falling into his arms and his holding her to himself, without _pushing_ her away. Words left her lips before she even knew it, breaking the sweet, serene silence of the car.

"Thanks for not pushing me away." She looked at Ranveer, a weariness creeping its way in her voice and Ranveer looked at her, a painful memory playing in his mind, visibly growing larger in his eyes and in that moment, she _knew_ it, knew what memory he was thinking about. Smiling at her painfully, he whispered to her, a hoarse resignation in his voice.

"I never could. _I never would_."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Surge of Anxiety**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The rest of the drive passed in bearable yet awkward silence. After a few minutes, the car entered into the gateway of a mansion while Ishaani's mouth dropped a bit at the sight of it - a magnificent structure emitting a pearly white glow in the moonlit sky, the gardens on either side of the place richly kept with an assortment of flower shrubs, trees and bushes, that would make a beautiful scenic beauty in the day time, and a fountain stood in the middle of the gravel-made gateway, sprouts of water flowing high in the night, the soft splashing of the water calm and gentle right in the middle. The mansion had the feel of a castle about it.

Ishaani looked at this view and smiled. This was precisely where she wanted to see Ranveer reach in life and he did. She looked across towards him, where their eyes met for a moment and Ishaani gave him a genuine smile. He smiled at her, this time with more ease, though it still did not remotely light up his eyes. He rubbed his temple absent-mindedly and his hold on the steering wheel became much stronger, his knuckles shining white in the combined light from one of the lampposts and the natural light from the sky. Ishaani noticed this and was about to say something, when Ranveer shut his eyes and took deep breaths and snapped them back open.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Ranveer parked the car in front of the mansion and got down, Ishaani following him quickly. When she entered the house, an involuntary gasp left her lips that did not go unnoticed by Ranveer. The house had an uncanny_ essence_ of the Parekh mansion, only much more grand and exquisite, with the furniture of the living room chosen with careful selection, precision and good taste right from the sofas to the cherry wood furniture and from the elegant paintings to the walnut colored armoires. She noticed that there were no family photos on the walls. The house was nearly dark, save for the dim lights that were kept on till Ranveer's return. Ishaani turned towards one of the walls, where an old grandfather clock stood tall and firm, its hands sitting at 12:30.

A butler by the name of Martin came forward, tall and healthy looking, with an easy smile on his face and his cornflower blue eyes kind and courteous, his suit neat and dapper. Ranveer gave the butler his instructions to lead Ishaani to her room for the night while he silently walked away from the living room, ascending over the staircase, his pace slow and having a slight stagger. Ishaani knew that there was something bothering him but she could not say what, that made her feel uncomfortable.

The butler led her to her room, which was on the first landing, a moderately well-furnished room with mahogany furniture, a fireplace that was emitted low orange-ish glow in the room and an attached washroom alongside. She thanked the butler, who left her graciously, advising her to call him in need for anything and shut the door quietly, wishing her a good night's sleep.

* * *

Ranveer got up from his bed once again, angrily rubbing his throbbing temples. He felt a discomfort spread over his fingers, a slight numbness tingling them. Switching on the lights, he walked across one of the armoires and removed a painkiller from it. Gulping it down in one go, he paced around the room for a few moments before his knees suddenly buckled below him and he crashed on the floor. His breathing came in sharp gasps and he could feel white lights pop in his eyes. The memories from the past kept hitting him with razor sharp clarity, as he felt his head hit the carpet, his chest constricting and darkness creeping in around him from all angles.

His breath was getting more and more hitched by the moment and any form of breathing was getting difficult. He tried to get on his feet once again, but it only resulted in him falling over the carpet once again, his hand having caught hold of something, that crashed alongside with him. He tried to shout out, but it only resulted in a gurgling noise being released. He moved his hands about to catch hold of something, but he felt disoriented. He could hear Ishaani's voice streaming in the room and could see several moments of their past flashing in his mind like several hundred buzzing bees together, but he could not understand anything. He was stuck with the _past_.

He caught his head in despair as tears and sweat dropped from his face alike, his mind begging of the torture to stop while he felt his breathing get more and more difficult. His world was in a swirling mist of darkness and light, his mind continuously flitting between the realms of the present and the past, a strong pain erupting in his chest now. His body felt paralyzed by this sudden ailment and he could do nothing except re-live all those moments in his life which he so wanted to lock up and escape while he felt a strange numbness spread over his body.

* * *

Ishaani felt restless. She was sitting on an armchair by the fireplace, reading a tattered version of Hamlet, when she felt something dreadful erupt within her. The discomfort only grew prolonged over the time, until she finally kept the book aside on the coffee table nearby and decided to have a walk around, to calm her nerves.

Wrapping a shawl around her night gown, courtesy of Ranveer's driver who had brought her attaché kit from the car, she got up and left the room, making sure to make as little noise as possible. Looking at the mantel piece on the wall of the corridor, she saw that it was 2 in the morning. She did not feel remotely sleepy despite having a tiring day, though her mind wanted to crash.

_*Crash*_

Ishaani heard the faintest noise from across the corridor and stopped dead in her track. The house was doused in darkness and all the rooms were dark, except for one at the farthest corner. She walked unconsciously towards the door, her feet carrying her quickly, even though her mind protested doing so. There was some kind of instinct that was pulling her towards the door, even though she knew that it was wrong to pry around the house at this time of the night, especially since this wasn't her house at all.

She reached towards the door and tried to listen for a noise. She could hear the labored breathing of someone from within the room, as though that person couldn't draw enough breath. Concerned, she knocked over the door thrice and waiting for a reply, but none came. But what she heard, made her blood freeze. It was the faintest whisper of her name._ Ishaani_.

Swinging open the door violently, her eyes took time to get accustomed to the blinding brightness and she turned blindly here and there, until her eyes fell over Ranveer fallen over the ground. Running over to him, Ishaani tapped his face in rapid succession trying to get him to open his eyes. His eyes were rolling behind his head while his chest now rose and fell in hard intakes of breath, a rasping noise echoed along with it.

Ishaani felt the blood drain out of her as she saw him trying to catch hold of something blindly, his eyes open yet not seeing anything and she swiftly caught hold of his hand.

"Ranveer, you need to keep your eyes open. I'm getting you some help."

"No... No... You're dead... dead..."

Ishaani looked at him painfully, as he let go of her hand once again and threw it upon his head. Ishaani sat stock still, trying to control her own fear before practicality came back to her. Getting up, she flew towards the intercom on the side of his bed and dialed the number Martin had given her in case of an emergency. Martin picked up the phone immediately.

"Mr. Martin, this is Ms. Parekh. I need you to get over to Mr. Vaghela's room immediately! He's collapsed and -"

"I'm on my way, _madame_!"

Martin cut the phone and Ishaani walked back to Ranveer while she now pulled his head over her lap. Martin entered the room within a minute, his night dress askew, and his feet having a combination of the wrong slippers. Ishaani looked at him a whispered frantically.

"Help me get him over the bed! And we need to call a doctor!"

"Ma'am, I'll bring my wife up here. She's a trained professional."

Ishaani nodded as Martin left the room, just as swiftly as he had come. Ishaani sat on the bed and started rubbing Ranveer's palms that were as cold as ice while she simultaneously stroked his hair. Even though his eyes were open and staring at her fully, aware of his surroundings, Ishaani could make out that it wasn't long before he slipped into unconsciousness and she tried her best to keep him awake.

"Ranveer please... keep your eyes open... please... we're getting you help..." Ishaani looked at him ashen faced while he stared back at her, barely able to string his words together now.

"No... You died... you died... it can't be... this can't be..."

"Ranveer! I'm not dead! My sentence was pardoned on the day of my execution! Stop saying that!" Ishaani looked frightened while her eyes brimmed with tears at the words that were being told to her, words that somehow felt as sharp as though arrows were being hurled at her.

"But in these three years... I thought... you were dead..."

"I never died..." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, but in vain, for Ranveer's eyes were already half shut now.

"You should know... I never lived."

Martin and another lady entered the room with a medical kit in her hand, who Ishaani assumed was the butler's wife. She walked up to Ishaani and patted her shoulder before she spoke gently.

"Darling, he's in safe hands now. Wait in your room. I'll check him up and send word with Martin."

* * *

It was 3 now. Martin had led Ishaani silently to her room while his wife had started on the treatment immediately. Luckily, none of the guests in the house were awakened by the events of the night, which Ishaani was grateful for. She would not have been able to bear all the questions and answers and tactful handling of the guests. Not at a time where she needed someone to handle her in the first place.

Ishaani paced about the room furiously, desperate for a word of news while she was lost in thought. Her glass of brandy was untouched on the coffee table that Martin had cooked up for her on Mrs. Martin's orders, for remedying shock. Suddenly, a door knock on the door brought Ishaani out of her worrying thoughts and she rushed rapidly towards it.

Opening the door, she saw Martin standing over there, a small smile over his face.

"How is Ran- _Mr. Vaghela_? Is he alright? Is he awake? Is he sleeping? Will you please say something?" Ishaani breathed hard, her heart fluttering with anxious await for his answer.

"If _madame_ permits me to speak, I shall tell you at this moment how _monsieur _is."

"Sorry, Mr. Martin. Come in." Ishaani flushed slightly for her harried behavior and beckoned the butler inside. He smiled at her, a knowing look in his eyes.

"I see that you have not had your glass of brandy yet, _madame._"

"That's not important right now. How is Mr. Vaghela?"

"He is absolutely fine."

"But what happened to him? He looked like he was having some sort of seizure! I was afraid he might be going to cardiac arrest!"

"Precisely my wife's first view." Ishaani turned pale, but Martin spoke quickly. "But that is not the case, _madame_. Do not worry. My wife tells me that _monsieur_ has suffered from something known as an anxiety attack. Its symptoms are almost like a heart attack." Ishaani exhaled a long breath that she had been holding in from quite some time.

"My wife has given _monsieur_ a sedative. He should be nice and awake by tomorrow, though there might be some weakness."

"But is he alright otherwise?"

"Completely fine, _madame_. He has got a fever though, but my wife is tending to him right now. But apart from that, no worries. You called me right on time, or else, monsieur's condition could have become very serious." Ishaani looked at him and nodded blankly. She had a shrewd suspicion about what had brought on the anxiety attack, but she did not want to think about it now.

She turned towards Martin and could see that there was a question on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn't asking it because he thought it was rude.

"Do you want to ask me something Mr. Martin?"

"Uh... not really, _madame_." He looked at her curiously for a couple of minutes before he couldn't restrain it any longer. "Was _madame _searching for something she needed?"

Ishaani did not have to think two moments to know what he was implying. She knew that this question was bound to be asked eventually.

"I wasn't getting sleep, so I wanted to take a walk around the corridor. It calms my nerves, you see. And then I heard a sound from Mr. Vaghela's room and I rushed to see what happened." Martin smiled at her sheepishly and muttered softly.

"I hope you wouldn't tell monsieur about my impudence to question you_, madame_. Monsieur is most kind and treats me like a brother, but he does have a terrible rage." Ishaani laughed at Martin while he chuckled slowly at the absurdity of his own statement. She noticed that even though he spoke fluent English, he had a slight French accent at the same time.

"Don't worry Martin, I won't. Besides, you saved his life today. I'm forever indebted to you."

"No, _I_ am forever indebted to you.

"For what, Mr. Martin?"

"For your return, _Madame Vaghela_."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Tale of Mr. Martin**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

_"What!?_" Ishaani half fell, half slumped on the chair in shock. Martin stared at her apologetically while he handed her the glass of brandy.

"Sorry _madame_, I did not intend you frighten you. Perhaps it is best that you do have some brandy to steady your nerves." Ishaani stared at him stupidly for a couples of moments before she accepted the brandy, her hands shaking slightly and drained the glass in one go. She felt the brandy warm her up and felt the heat come up her throat while she relaxed back in the chair. She was accustomed to having a glass of brandy from time to time, which now worked as an advantage for her not getting drunk too easily.

She blinked her eyes several times before motioning Martin to take the other remaining seat opposite her. Martin sat down reluctantly and Ishaani spoke once again.

"How do you know?" She knew it was a very stupid question to ask, or rather the question was framed quite stupidly, but she did not care. Her mind was exhausted and she had no strength for speaking in riddles anymore.

"_Monsieur_ had told me about it."

"I want to know something from you Martin."

"Anything, _madame_."

"I want to know how you and Ranveer met." Martin smiled at the use of Ranveer's first name from Ishaani while he nodded.

"Do you want to know _everything_?"

"Everything."

"If I have your permission then?"

"Go on."

"You see, when _monsieur_ first came to Greece, I was just a poor peasant from rural France, who came here in search for a job. I had no family and no money. One day while I was walking aimlessly on the road, trying to find for a job and starving for two days, I became weak and I was hit by a car. I would have died had it not been for monsieur who saved me at the right time. He brought me to a hospital and paid for all my treatment. Once I became fit, monsieur asked me all about myself. I was ashamed to tell him, but I did nonetheless. _Monsieur_ decided to give me a job."

Ishaani nodded her head at him solemnly. Martin continued.

"_Monsieur_ used to stay in a rented apartment back then, near Athens. I used to stay with him and drive him around to his work and do all the household chores too. Monsieur would pay me well and was trusted me a lot. Very soon, monsieur and I became very close and monsieur began to treat me like a brother."

Ishaani smiled. Even in these three years, Ranveer was precisely the same, even though he had been through so much. She looks at Martin affectionately, happy that her love had finally found a friend who he could trust blindly.

"I worked hard so that I could live up to _monsieur's_ trust and hope to repay him back for all of his love and affection. _Monsieur_ was happy with my services and would always speak most highly of me. And then, _monsieur_ did something that made me forever indebted to him. During one of _monsieur's_ business tours in Zurich, we came across a woman during our stay. She was a beautiful woman, independent and earned well. She used to stay in the same hotel as us. During that time, she and _monsieur_ became acquainted well enough.

Ishaani observed Martin for a few moments before a knowing smile crossed her face.

"You fell in love with her, didn't you?"

"_Mais oui, madame_. She was not only physically attractive, but was a very gentle, humorous and intelligent woman. Everything I aspired to have in my wife. But naturally I couldn't tell her that, for I was nowhere near her standard."

Ishaani cringed at the bluntness of the statement. A tear escaped her eye as she pictured Ranveer's face in front of her, the first time he confessed his feelings to her 6 years ago and how she had not believed him and had severed away all ties with him for 2 years. She looked at Martin guiltily while he smiled at her painfully for a moment before he continued.

"But _monsieur_ ofcourse found out about it. He reprimanded me for not telling my feelings to Claudine, the girl who I desired to be with for the rest of my life. He warned me that if I would not tell her about how I felt, he would go talk to her about the same. I was frightened. You see, in all those months year, _monsieur_ knew everything about me and understood me so well, but I didn't know monsieur at all. He would ask me for my counsel always, yet I didn't know why he would remain so unhappy and troubled, for even though monsieur would not say anything, I knew that he was suffering from some painful emotion."

Ishaani shut her eyes and let Martin's words wash over her for a moment. This was the closest she could ever get to know how Ranveer was in those three years. She needed to take in every word that Martin spoke. Composing herself once again, she asked him curiously.

"What happened then?"

"Well, stuttering and stammering, I told Claudine the next evening the whole truth. I expected her to laugh and jeer at me or simply slap me for my daring. She did neither. Instead, she commended me for my honesty and simply hugged me and told me that she was willing to get married to me."

Ishaani smiled triumphantly while Martin smiled at the thought of that memory.

"That was the most beautiful day of my life, _madame_. Even more beautiful than the day we got married. I returned back to my room and simply hugged _monsieur_ and broke down over his shoulder. _Monsieur_, ofcourse, got worried, until I managed to tell him that Claudine and accepted my proposal. He was even happier than me, though he did scold me for scaring the daylights out of him."

Martin chuckled and Ishaani smiled at him fondly. She was started to like him more by the minute and he began feeling like a family member more than a butler in a mansion.

"Three weeks later, we came to this house, married and happy while _monsieur_ had a kept a housewarming party as well as a reception for the two of us. Her parents were happy with our marriage and had given us their blessings, something which I was quite afraid about and she had taken a transfer to the hospital over here in Vari, after our marriage."

Ishaani nodded approvingly while she now asked him the question she had been yearning to have an answer to from quite some time.

"When did you find out about me from Ranveer?"

"It was nearly two springs ago, _madame_. One night,_ monsieur_ visited my cabin, when my wife had her night shift at the hospital. When I opened my door, _monsieur_ was standing there, half slumped over the wall and too drunk to know anything. Never had I seen him this distressed and _monsieur_ was even crying. I brought him into my cabin and made him lie down and asked him about what had upset him so much. He told me everything, without even keeping a single detail from me. He even showed me your photo."

Ishaani's mind took some time to register what he had said, for her mind was stuck on the term 'two springs ago' and it struck her. It must have been around what Ranveer considered to be her first death anniversary. Ishaani nodded at him and asked once again.

"What did you do?"

"I listened to _monsieur_ the entire night, sometimes crying, sometimes mumbling about what had happened to him and why he came to Greece. I tried to comfort him in every way possible but never in my life had I been more afraid for _monsieur_, for he looked like he would go insane. Finally towards dawn, _monsieur_ fell asleep in my room but I was distressed. Distressed about _monsieur's_ health."

"What happened then?"

"_Monsieur_ got up around noon the next day. I naturally never had the courage to bring up the topic about last night. I knew that _monsieur_ used to go to Mrs. Brandt's library since that past one month as a type of therapy for his cracking depression, but I did not bring anything up. _Monsieur_ came up to my cabin once again that evening, but he simple hugged me and thanked me for listening to him last night and for being there like a brother for him. We never mentioned that event ever since."

But something else was clicking into Ishaani's mind now.

"You say that you were afraid for Ranveer's health. Did he have a similar type of panic attack that night? Or does he have it often?"

"No,_ madame_. That night, he simply had a nervous breakdown. _Monsieur_ has never had an anxiety attack of this level before. He only had it once, a year ago when he thought he saw someone who looked alike you. But that was a very minor one. Just profuse sweating and nausea. My wife, obviously, didn't know the reason behind that attack, but _monsieur_ let me know about it later on."

Now Ishaani understood what had brought upon the anxiety attack to this level. Her suspicion was exact and Ranveer's prolonged ignorance to face the fact in the party that night had led to the build-up of such a severe attack.

"Mr. Martin. I don't know how I could ever thank you for being there with my husband at a time where he was alone. You are truly part of the family now." Martin looked highly happy at this remark and smiled at Ishaani. Taking the empty brandy glass in his hand now, he got up slowly.

"_Madame_, if I may take your leave now. You have also had a rough night. Some hours' sleep should do you good." Ishaani nodded at him before stopping him once again.

"Mr. Martin, I hope that our conversation tonight remains between us only."

"_Mais oui_, that goes without saying, _madame_."

"And one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Can I sit beside Ranveer for some time? It wouldn't trigger another... attack of any sort, would it?"

"Rest assured,_ madame. Monsieur_ is alright now and asleep. Though if you do want to sit by him, it is alright. _Bonne nuit, madame_!" Ishaani smiled at him and wished him goodnight while she headed towards Ranveer's room once again, the tattered copy of Hamlet caught firmly within her fingers. She swung the door open cautiously and entered the room.

The bedroom lamp was dimly lit while Ranveer was fast asleep, his features much more relaxed than the convulsed ones she had witnessed nearly two hours ago. She took her seat on the armchair that was kept near the bed and cuddled up in it, until she was comfortable enough to begin reading. Opening the copy of her book where she had bookmarked it, she began reading the book, until she mind refused any more intake of words.

Shutting the book while a frustrated sigh left her lips, she glared at the picture of Shakespeare that smiled back at her from the cover and slammed the book on the coffee table, making sure not to make much noise. She now instead took to staring at Ranveer sleep peacefully, his breath even and calm as the thoughts of love floated around her mind, along with the names of Shakespeare and Hamlet once again.

The only thing she could manage to conclude properly was that Prince Hamlet was an unhinged crackpot before she fell asleep on the armchair.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Triumph of Hope**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer opened his eyes slowly, his sleep broken by a terrible need of water. His throat felt parched and burned a bit while his entire body felt sore. He had a dull ache in his chest and his fingers felt tingly, as though feeling had just returned to them. He got up slowly, a low moan of pain escaping his lips while his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

He quietly picked up the jug and filled a glass of water for himself, rubbing his temple unconsciously, the pain in it receding away rapidly. The water felt cool and comforting to his throat. He could not remember what had happened last night that had caused him so much discomfort and he took a deep breath to steady himself before his eyes fell over the armchair.

Ishaani was fast asleep on the armchair, her head in an awkward angle and her legs half fallen out from the seat. The memories from the previous night's party kept hitting his mind hard while he stared at her absent-mindedly. Slowly, he swung his legs away from the mattress and sat on the bed, his body taking time to get adjusted to all the movements. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, dizziness overcoming him while he caught the bedpost as support. After waiting for a couple of minutes, he took a long breath to ensure that he could not fall again before he walked over to Ishaani. He ran his hand over her head slowly, feeling her hair passing through his fingers, making sure that she was real, in spite of having his proof last night.

He saw a ring gleaming dully on her finger, the doves intact and the diamond shining as brightly as ever. A roar of triumph erupted in his heart at the sight of the ring, proving that everything he had believed and put himself through in these three years had been worth it. That one strand of hope that he had clung on to was true. _She did love him_. He smiled at her glumly, wishing that she had trusted him enough to see things through, rather than kill both of themselves so brutally and mercilessly.

Taking a long look at her once again, he noticed that her hair had concealed part of her face and was fallen over it in ruffled curtains. He gently pushed her hair away from her face and stared at her deeply, trying to remember each and every feature of her face that he would try to memorize every night. He noticed that she had grown thin in these three years, fine wrinkles placed on her forehead and tired circles around her eyes. He stared at her remorsefully, trying to think about how intertwined their lives were with each other, yet all they brought each other was only pain.

Sighing, he stared at her emptily, not knowing what emotion he should truly be feeling at the sight of her, because none came to him. Those emotions for her were suppressed under shackles and chains of resentment, betrayal and anger. He quietly walked back towards the bed and sat on it heavily for a couple of moments before he took the intercom. He looked at the time on his watch by the table. 6:30 AM. Nodding his head in satisfaction, he dialed Martin's number once again.

"Martin, would you mind coming up to my room for a minute?"

"Ofcourse, _monsieur_. I'll be right there."

Ranveer hung up the phone and rested his head on the bed rest. He shut his eyes tiredly and heard a soft door knock after a few moments. Opening his eyes quickly to see whether Ishaani's sleep was uninterrupted, he took a sigh of relief as Ishaani was asleep as she was before. Martin opened the door a crack and peered inside to seek permission. Ranveer nodded his head and signaled him inside. Martin walked up to his bed, concern laded in his voice.

"Monsieur-"

"Not now, Martin. First carry Ishaani over to her room and then come back here again."

Martin looked surprised and turned behind to see Ishaani asleep on the armchair awkwardly. Nodding swiftly, Martin walked into the room and gently picked Ishaani up in his arms bridal style, making sure that her sleep did not break. He then carried her up to her room and lay her down comfortably and quickly returned back to Ranveer's room.

"Martin, do get me something to eat. I feel a bit tired and hungry. And what on Earth happened to me?"

"Monsieur, you had an anxiety attack last night."

"I... _what_?" Ranveer looked aghast. Nodding his head feverishly, even though no memory returned back to him, he looked back at Martin once again.

"I'll be right back here in 15 minutes. Get my breakfast up here and do bring your own breakfast also. We'll have our breakfast together today. There are a lot of things that need clarifying."

Martin nodded his head once again and made his way below while Ranveer got up slowly from his bed once again and made his way up to Ishaani's room. He sat by her bed and saw her sleep peacefully while he remembered how he would stare at her sleep calmly and without any worry, back in those days when they were best friends and then later when they were married.

Yet something was standing in between them right now, something that was far too heavy for either of them to understand or bear anymore. People said that the easiest way to move on in life would be to leave things unsaid, but that wasn't possible for them. They had _too many_ things unsaid between them that had its own share of burden now. Nodding his head determinedly, he tucked up the blanket around her and she muttered something indistinguishable in her sleep and rolled over to the other side.

Ranveer left the room after taking one last look at Ishaani and put on his mask of cold indifference once again. He wanted answers and he needed them today itself, even if it was the last thing that he did.

* * *

True to his word, Martin came up with another helper exactly after 15 minutes. On one side, was a plate of scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast and on another plate was a bowl of oats and freshly-baked cinnamon rolls. The helper behind him had another tray having a kettle and two mugs, along with pots of butter and jam, along with a block of cheese.

The helper was dismissed and Martin quickly set the plates and mugs on the coffee table. He handed over a piece of cinnamon roll on the plate and the bowl of oats towards Ranveer, who had come and seated himself on the table. Martin prepared the coffees and handed over one cup to Ranveer while he took the other one in his hand.

"Oh do sit down, Martin." Martin looked at him sheepishly before he sat down opposite Ranveer.

"Is the meal alright, _monsieur_?"

"As perfect as always, Martin." Ranveer smiled as he took a bite from his slice of cinnamon bread while sipping over his coffee.

"How are you feeling now, _monsieur_?"

"I feel weird really and my body feels really sore."

"Should I call Claudine up here?"

"Don't disturb Claudine now. Let her sleep. I'll ask her to check me up later on."

"You wanted to clarify something with me, _monsieur_?"

"Oh yes. What happened to me last night? Why was Ishaani sleeping on the armchair like that? _And what was she even doing in my room in the first place_?"

"Well monsieur, it is a long story." Martin narrated the details of the previous night to him with perfect accuracy while Ranveer listened silently, his faces simultaneously changing between shades of red and white. Once Martin finished speaking, Ranveer threw his face in his hands and groaned silently.

"God, I've made a fool of myself. And Ishaani! I must have frightened the wits out of her!" He turned towards Martin and asked him nervously. "You didn't tell her anything you shouldn't have, did you?"

"Ofcourse not monsieur." Martin lied straight through his teeth. He was glad that Ranveer was too busy in framing his own thought to notice his twitching left eye, a sign that he was lying.

"Thank Goodness. But this is my fault. _All_ my fault."

"Now, now _monsieur_, I don't see why you are blaming yourself for this. It isn't your fault."

"Ofcourse it is. If I hadn't acted like such an idiot! But Good Lord, Martin, she's alive! Can you believe it, she is alive!"

"Yes monsieur, she is alive. And she gave you a new life as well."

"New life? What are you talking about Martin?"

"_Monsieur_, you see, had _madame_ not reached here on time, you could have even died."

"_Died!"_ Ranveer looked at Martin wide-eyed. "Goodness Martin, I hope you didn't tell her that now, did you?"

"Ofcourse not, _monsieur_! Madame was in extreme shock and was distressed because of your condition. She looked like she could have fainted any moment. Had I told her anything about it..." Martin shook his head and continued. "Besides, Claudine strictly forbade me to frighten her more and asked me to give her some strong brandy for shock."

"Brandy?" Ranveer's tone turned sharp suddenly. "You gave her _brandy_?"

"Yes,_ monsieur_. At first, she did seem reluctant to have it, but later on, she accepted it."

"You didn't give her any local made alcohol now, did you?" Ranveer looked at Martin apprehensively, hoping for a positive reply.

"Ofcourse not,_ monsieur_! I gave her a glass of one of the best and strongest brandy. Perhaps, that's why _madame_ is fast asleep. The brandy was quite old you see." Martin chuckled a bit before looking at Ranveer shrewdly. "Besides monsieur, why would I give _madame_ local-made alcohol when I know that she is allergic to it?"

Ranveer narrowed his eyes at Martin while the latter smiled.

"You remember too much for the amount of things I told you that night."

"It is my job to remember, _monsieur_. I never forget." Martin and Ranveer shared a look of common understanding while Ranveer patted his shoulder.

"What would I have ever done without you, Martin?" He looked at Martin fondly while the latter was sipping the last remaining bit of coffee from his cup. Martin smiled at Ranveer shyly while he took away their plates and mugs and called the helper back into the room once again. The helper cleared away everything and Martin made Ranveer sit on the bed once again while he occupied the same armchair Ishaani had been sleeping in.

"_Monsieur_, it would do best if you took some rest now. Claudine is going to be very strict about your medication and diet from now on and I think she did leave a schedule on the medicine box by the bed side."

"Why does Claudine have to be so strict?" Ranveer pouted like a child at the sight of the medicines.

"I'm afraid _monsieur_ that you will have to stick to this atleast for three days. Plus since you had a fever last night, she is going to be pretty insistent on the tablets." Ranveer slapped his forehead in disgust while he shook his head in resignation.

"It's a pity you fell in love, Martin or I would have warned you about how women are always the major cause of our misery." Martin laughed at the sarcasm and irony of the statement while Ranveer glared at him.

"Oh do stop laughing now. Tell Claudine thanks and do make sure you leave a glass of strong lemonade by Ishaani's bedside. She'll be needing it soon enough."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Hangovers of Drunken Love**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani groaned in her sleep steadily, as her head kept pounding, feeling as though her skull would explode. She woke up sulkily, her eyes getting adjusted slowly to the brightness of the room before she realized that she was sleeping in the room she was given for the night. Surprised, she quickly dialed the intercom and called Martin in her room, anxious and curious about the happenings of the last few hours.

Martin knocked and entered the room within 5 minutes, a glass of lemonade in his hand along with an aspirin. He handed over the glass to Ishaani, who took it gratefully and sipped it, making a face alongside.

"Ugh, it's too strong!" Looking at Martin raise his eyebrow at her, she quickly added. "But quite refreshing, you know."

Ishaani's eyes suddenly widened at the similarity of the phrase, until she stared at her lemonade, a small smile coming up to her face.

"Is everything alright, _madame_?"

"Oh yes, everything's fine. I just remembered someone who had spoken this exact line to me a few years back." She looked up at Martin and saw understanding reflect in his eyes. She realized that he was quite quick to grasp facts hidden in words and phrases and had brains that complemented his carelessly handsome looks perfectly.

"How is Ranveer now? Is he alright?"

"He is perfectly fine, _madame_. I've served him a good breakfast and given him his medicines too, even though he protested quite a bit about it."

"He was never quite a one to abide by medicines, really." She looked around the room and asked Martin quizzically. "How on Earth did I end up back over here?"

"I carried you back here, _madame_. You fell asleep on the armchair in monsieur's room, so he asked me to bring you back here." Ishaani nodded her head while she absent-mindedly played with her ring.

"Is Ranveer free now?"

"Right now, Claudine is checking up on him. The delegate party will be leaving soon so I don't think that he'll be free now. I think he'll be free around noon."

Ishaani nodded her head and Martin left the room quietly. She kept the lemonade aside and stared at the ring, a tear escaping her eye at the sight of the two doves perched on her ring, kept intact in spite of so many hurdles. This ring had been her solace each day, giving her hope that Ranveer was somewhere, living and successful, even though she did not know where. She had not seen him since the day the court had first given its judgement on her execution and had made a point to not see him again, once she had left Mumbai for good.

She had gone back to the Vaghela mansion once her sentence was pardoned at the last moment, courtesy of her friend and defense lawyer Shikhar. She had hoped Ranveer would there, see her, hug her or even be angry with her, for she had wronged him in so many ways that were unfair. But karma had made sure she went through the same abandonment from all her loved ones just like how she had abandoned Ranveer.

The moment she reached the threshold of her house, Amba had made sure that she was thrown out of the house as unceremoniously as she could be thrown while she blamed her viciously for being the reason why Ranveer had left Mumbai with nothing but a letter left behind that he was going to start life anew, away from everything that reminded him of her. She had then gone back to her own family, tear-stained and heartbroken, but their reaction was even worse than the one that she received from Amba. None of them were willing to see her face and threw her out of the house, yelling that she was dead for everyone and she just stood up to everyone's claims of her being illegitimate and never a part of the family. Her own mother had refused to see her.

She had tried visiting Ritika and Sameera but both of them refused to acknowledge her, ashamed for what she had done and refused to stand in her company for any more than 5 minutes. It came as an ugly shock to Ishaani that Ritika was pregnant with what she assumed was Sharman's kid, but he refused to accept her and the kid and the engagement was called off.

She was lost in that insane world, consumed with grief and shock alike, when she gained a slight solace in Shikhar. He had agreed to give her shelter in her house for a few days and took good care of her as a friend but she could not bear being there anymore. She wanted to start life fresh and all over again, away from there and somewhere quiet and secluded; a place that would be big enough to accept both her and her guilty heart.

Shikhar suggested shifting to Greece where he had a cousin sister residing. He helped her with her passport and visa and a month later, she was sitting on a flight to Greece, not knowing where life would lead her and what life would give her now. The only thing that she held on to from the past was her ring, Ranveer's only gift of their marriage and love apart from her mangalsutra that she no longer wore, for she was certain that they must no longer be married after signing the divorce papers.

Snapping back to reality, Ishaani hastily wiped away her tears of loneliness and bitter resentment that was steadily rising up her throat. She drank the lemonade swiftly while she gulped down the aspirin alongside. She quickly got up and freshened herself, so that she could head back home and then the library and if time permitted, back here later, to finally confront old wounds and if luck would have it, to seal them away forever.

* * *

Ishaani entered the library slowly while Martha was ushering one of the noisy groups of teenagers out. She looked at Ishaani and frowned at her lost expression and pulled her straight to her cabin. Shutting the door behind her, she made Ishaani sit down quickly while the latter looked up at her, her restraint breaking steadily.

Martha pulled her into a hug while Ishaani held on to her and cried her heart out. Martha rubbed circles on her back and calmed her with soft and soothing words. Separating from the hug once Ishaani's sobs were reduced to hiccoughs, she cupped her cheek while sitting on her knees.

"Honey, what happened?"

"I cannot take it anymore. I simply cannot do this anymore."

"Honey, look at me. Is this about Ranveer?"

Ishaani looked at her and nodded. "Darling! Why didn't you tell me last night! I had a feeling that the two of y'all knew each other from somewhere and had some history from before. Had I known that he was your husband…" Martha looked at Ishaani guiltily while the latter shook her head.

"It isn't that Martha. I've killed him with my love! Three years! Three years he thinks I'm dead and tries to re-piece his life back together and yet the moment he sees me, he still goes back to caring for me and my happiness! Hell, he didn't let me sleep on the armchair just because it was bloody uncomfortable! Why does he have to care for me so much! Why does he have to love me so much that even though he has locked up emotions in some forgotten corner of his heart, he still manages to show it through actions! Why did he have to fall in love with me of all the people in this world! Look at me Martha! Ever since we have been friends, all I've ever given him is pain and misery! Only pain! And yet he keeps loving me so much! I cannot take it anymore Martha, my heart can't live with this anymore!"

She caught her head in despair, her fingers interlocked in her hair while tears streamed openly from her eyes. Martha stared at her for a few moments before she pulled Ishaani's chin up so that blue eyes met onyx ones.

"You listen to me, girl. I've known Ranveer for the past three years and let me tell you something. If anyone knows him after Martin, it's me. I've had him up in my library since three years, where there have been more than several nights where I've sat up with him all night and heard him cry and nurse his heart from your death and absence. You don't you even dare to play the blame game here." Martha took a deep breath and continued.

"If anyone has ever given him any happiness in life, it's you. You have never been able to grasp the fact and sadly this was the main reason why you ended up doing what you did three years back. And regarding what he has done for you, darling unconditional love never knows return. When Ranveer loved you as a kid, he was ready to live with his one-sided love without ever expecting anything in return from you. That will be his love for you all his life that will never ever change no matter what. He may repress that love with anger, resentment and prejudice, but he'll always love you no matter what. And he will put himself through hell thousands of times even though he will get simmered and burn in that same love that will only leave his ashes behind. That's love. Ask yourself. Won't you put yourself through the same hell that you went through three years ago just so that he could escape punishment? When you get your answer to that, go face him and tell him what you told me."

Ishaani looked at her surprised for several moments before she asked her shakily.

"How did you come to know that Ranveer is..._was_ my husband?"

"He told me so 15 minutes ago. I called him to check up on the job vacancy thing and he told me that you were his wife. He had his suspicions ever since I mentioned your name in the reports. That's why he was so anxious to meet you. He told me he would tell me everything once he saw you and he told me about it on the phone right now." Staring at Martha absent-mindedly, she continued.

"How can you be so sure of how this story is going to end, Martha?"

"Because I've heard both sides of it. All you need to do, is talk to each other now. This conversation may make it or break it, but either way, this will finally help y'all move on in life. The two of you have buried and hidden yourselves far too deep into the past. It's time y'all came out from your hiding places and confront the truth for once, head on."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Battle of Wills**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani rang the doorbell to the mansion while she hugged herself and stared around the place, its scenic beauty calming her nerves slightly. She still felt embarrassed and distraught over her outpour on Martha, but she could not deny that she felt much better after it. A serene calm had taken over her buzzing mind, all thoughts and fears obliterated, her mind only focused on having her conversation with Ranveer.

The door swung open and Martin stared at her, momentarily taken aback before a smile crossed his face. He led her into the house once again before he asked common courtesies of being seated or having something to drink, all of which Ishaani refused. She smiled at him tensely before she asked.

"Is Ranveer free right now?"

"Yes, _madame_. He is free now and in his room. I'll be up in my quarters if you need anything."

Ishaani smiled at him a bit more relaxed and thanked him while she climbed the stairs to the first landing. Her heart beat faster with every step taken towards the room while she looked around nervously. There was not a single soul in sight and the house was as quiet and secluded as it could be. The Canadian delegates had already been seen off.

Bringing her mind back to task, Ishaani sighed. This was going to be her first conversation with him face to face after three years. There was so much to be said and so much to be done. The memory of their last conversation kept creeping its way back up to her mind while she angrily dissed off the thoughts. She could not let that conversation cross her mind now, for the memory of it stung her hard and knew that this precise memory had been among one of the reasons that Ranveer had suffered his anxiety attack from the previous night.

Yet somehow, she felt hollow and empty. Every time she thought about all the things that were to be said and clarified, she drew up a blank. Martha had given her the day off on account of going and sorting out things with Ranveer, but she herself had no clue how to go about with it. She mentally made a note to herself to leave the key conversation to Ranveer.

Reaching towards the door of his room, she knocked the door twice before a resounding 'Come in' came back as a reply. Ishaani entered the room, which now looked majestic with its being completely bathed in sunlight while the walnut-colored furniture gleamed gorgeously. Ranveer was sitting on the bed, some files strewn across on the blanket while his head was buried in one of the files.

Ranveer raised his head up to see Ishaani standing there and shut the file slowly. The world seemed to have disappeared, as Ranveer and Ishaani now stood face-to-face, with nothing around them except each other's solitary presence, the golden light in the room making the moment surreal.

"Hey."

"Hey." Ishaani smiled at Ranveer meekly while he smiled back at her slowly.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Better." Ranveer had half a guilty look on his face before he whispered slowly. "Sorry that I frightened you yesterday."

"Shouldn't that be my line, given that you had the anxiety attack because of me?"

Ranveer looked at her and smiled while she smiled back, the first true smile in these three years. Ranveer no longer had that cold air about him. Instead, he looked at her curiously, his eyes still empty and calculating, reflecting the same aura that Ishaani had about herself. He titled his head slightly before speaking.

"Martin told me about last night. Thank you for saving my life." Ishaani nodded in acknowledgement but did not reply. She looked at him for a few moments, thinking what to say before she simply stated.

"My sentence was pardoned." Ranveer stared at her intently before speaking.

"Why are you telling me about this now?"

"I though it mattered to you." Ishaani looked at him puzzled while he returned a blank look.

"Does this matter_ now_?" Ishaani cocked her eyebrow up in response. It took her a few moments before she replied, her answer dipped in sarcasm.

"For someone who was yelling his head off that I was dead while hallucinating, your reply doesn't seem really truthful." Ranveer stared at her, his face torn between confusion and embarrassment. Ishaani studied his expression carefully before speaking once again.

"You don't remember anything about last night now, do you?"

"No." Ranveer replied honestly while he looked at her, anger suddenly bubbling inside him. He did not know why he felt so angry all of a sudden, but he did. Ishaani's calm, detached behavior was now getting to him slowly.

"Sit." His tone had a rough demeanor about it, which caught Ishaani's attention immediately. She smiled sadly at the anger visible in his eyes while she sat down at the coffee table. Ranveer sat down on the bed once again, waiting for her to speak first while playing with his ring irritably.

After spending the next 15 minutes in silence during which all the two of them did was stare at each other, trying to read something, anything, within the depths of each other's eyes, Ishaani finally spoke.

"I never loved Chirag and I did not kill him."

"That was pretty obvious, given that you are still wearing that ring on your finger." Ishaani looked down at her ring and saw it gleaming powerfully in the sunlight.

"You noticed." It was more of a statement than a question and Ranveer simply nodded.

"Pretty much, yeah." He narrowed his eyes at her before he continued. "I must say though, you played your part perfectly back then. Mixing lies and truth together so effortlessly. I must really commend you for it. You knew just the right buttons to push now, didn't you? And I, like a fool, fell right for it. Ingenious, really."

Ranveer's tone had unconcealed venom, yet Ishaani simply stared at him blankly, her eyes not betraying the approaching storm in her heart. She replied nonchalantly.

"I did what I had to do." Ranveer nodded his head in mock approval before putting forth his next question.

"Ishaani, do you love me?"

Ishaani felt the breath get knocked out of her on hearing the question. For the first time in three years, she had heard _his_ voice. The same voice that was always filled with love, along with a desperation and insecurity latched with it. The question disarmed her false calm instantly, leaving her heart exposed to him through her eyes, raw and wounded.

"Yes... _yes I do_." She breathed out slowly, pouring in as much of emotion as she could while staring at him hopelessly, her eyes begging his now cracking cold ones to understand.

"And do you _trust_ me?" This question had so much pain attached with it that it made Ishaani's heart bleed.

"Yes I do. With my life." She answered slowly, still not quite understanding where this conversation was headed, even though she knew that the answer was dangling right before her eyes, obscured by a veil.

"I don't really_ think _so." Ranveer looked at her, a tear escaping his eye, a resentful bitterness reflecting through it. Ishaani sprang up from the chair and was about to speak, when she recoiled at the look in Ranveer's eyes. He had the same look that he had in the moment he was shot before he fell back into the pool.

"No! You've... you've got to understand!", she pleaded with him, tears finally springing in her eyes, her voice shaking with the hurt that Ranveer's statement had inflicted upon her. Ranveer smiled ruefully at her, seeing the effect his simple statement has caused.

"What do you want me to _understand_, Ishaani? From all I could conclude at the end of our last conversation, I was _always_ your servant first and then your friend and somewhere remotely about, your husband."

Ishaani's eyes bulged with tears as Ranveer's words struck her harshly once again while a sob escaped her lips freely. Ranveer looked at her painfully, another tear escaping his own eyes and whispered.

"That _hurt_, didn't it?" Ishaani looked at him hard while the storm finally broke within her heart, a fury such like she had never known blew her mind into a frenzy.

"It hurt, but not as much as when you said you wished I was Papa's _own_ child." Ishaani smiled at him bitterly while Ranveer was taken aback, his mouth a big, wide 'O'. Recovering quickly, his expression changed into that of furious indignation as he muttered with disgust.

"So, you're trying to hide your own wrong-doings behind the skirts of my bigger ones?"

"Oh no, I would never do that. I just don't understand why you are so hell bent on wanting to believe everything I told you, even though none of it was true except for the fact that I love you!"

"You know what really _hurts_ me, Ishaani? That even after knowing me for all these years, you don't trust me enough. You didn't trust me enough to see this through on my own."

"There was no bloody _choice_! There were witnesses who had seen the two of you fight! I had to save you from going to jail, I could not let you go to jail, not at my expense again!"

"What are you talking about?" Ranveer looked at her, his brows contracted in confusion.

"Chirag was _my_ mistake. Had I seen through his ulterior motives and his characterless nature before, none of this would have ever happened! You had warned me several times against and about him, but I chose to believe _him_ over you. See how that worked out, huh!?"

"Well, then in that case, I should blame myself for all of this chaos because I was the one who brought him in your life! What do you have to say for that, huh!?"

"I don't know why you can't understand my point! I'm not saying what I did was right, but I thought at least _you_, of all people, would understand me."

"Understand you? Hell, I feel like smacking you! Had you not intervened, I would have managed everything! Ishaani, you don't know what you've done and I see that even after three years you don't realize your mistake!"

"When the hell will you get to the part where you understand why I did it?!" Ishaani's voice had reached a peak and she flared at Ranveer, her anger obliterating all thoughts of sense from her mind.

"Why can't you get it into your damn head?! Do you realize the number of lives you destroyed just by your one stupidity? Don't you realize that you ruined not one life, but three families instead?"

"What do you want me to do now? Die? Rot in hell? Go drown myself? Because no one is going to accept me back again and I certainly don't want to receive any more crap treatment than I already got three years back."

Ranveer stared at her, his anger fading away, leaving behind an aching heart that had no more will to fight. He walked up to Ishaani and put his hands over her shoulders while tears openly escaped her eyes. He continued speaking much more calmly once he was assured that she wouldn't throw his hand off her shoulder.

"Ishaani, what happened three years ago wasn't anyone's fault. Neither yours, nor mine. It were the circumstances that weren't in our favor. But the scars that were given in the process are going to be in our hearts forever now, isn't it? Besides, your sacrifice only tore us apart more, with neither of us truly living in these three years. What good did it really bring out for us Ishaani? You tell me."

"But I didn't mean to-"

"I know Ishaani, I know!" Ranveer's exasperation was returning back, though his voice was tired. "But you scarred me for life that day. I knew it that you loved me and this has been the only driving force that has kept me alive in these past three years. But you don't know what your death did to me, Ishaani. You have _no_ idea."

Ishaani stared at him silently for a few minutes before she spoke once again.

"Will you be able to forgive me _ever,_ for what I did?" It took Ranveer a minute to ponder over the question before he replied sincerely.

"_Yes_."

Ishaani smiled at him painfully, her anger ebbing away completely, the cold hand of common sense falling over her once again. She now spoke with a resignation in her voice.

"That's why I love you, Ranveer. You always give people chances even though they don't deserve them. You may love me enough to forgive me, but I don't think I will be able to forgive myself ever. Not after seeing what _I've_ done to you."

"Ishaani, I-"

"Shhh." She pressed her finger over his lip while she spoke softly. "I understand what you are saying. And you're right. I've done far too much damage and I was stupid enough to try to make you see _my_ reasoning."

"Ishaani please, let me-"

"No Ranveer." Ishaani began walking towards the door before she stopped and turned back, speaking once again. "But just so that you know, if I were given the chance to do the same thing a thousand times what I did three years ago, I would do it happily as long as it buys you an extra breath, even at the cost of my own. No matter whether I'm ousted from the society or rejected by my own family and friends."

"Ishaani, stop. You're taking this the wrong way. You don't understand what I-"

"Just tell me one thing Ranveer. Can our marriage ever go back to the way it used to be? Can _we_ ever go back to what we were?" Ranveer looked at her doubtfully while Ishaani smiled, her eyes filled with tears.

"That's why it's best if we stay away from each other, because all our lives, I've only brought you pain. I don't want to do that anymore. That's why it's best if we part ways. We've parted ways legally, and now, it's best if we do it mentally as well." Ranveer looked confused before comprehension dawned upon him.

"No, stop. You've got this all wrong!" Ishaani turned back to look at him one last time before she muttered slowly.

"It's over, Ranveer. We're done."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: When the Lord Almighty Cried**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

"The hell we are!" He pulled her wrist into a back lock fiercely while her back was now pressed against Ranveer. His anger flared back, this time accompanied by unrestrained passion, as he pressed his thumb against her wrist harshly, the only thing that would work when he needed her to listen to him.

"Get this point into your thick skull as soon as you can. The sole reason to my happiness is_ you. You. _Do you get it? The key to our happiness is _with_ each other, not _apart_. I made the mistake once by letting you go and I've learnt my lesson the hard way. I won't let you leave me now. _Ever."_

"Ranveer my wrist-"

"And one more thing. We may have been living separately for the last three years, but we are still married. Yes-", he smiled as Ishaani turned a shocked face towards him, "-we are still married. I never filed the divorce papers."

Ishaani turned around and stared at him wide-eyed, as his vice-like grip on her wrist slackened. But before he could say anything else, she slapped his hand away from her wrist and massaged her wrist, his thumb print burning raw red on her skin.

"_Ouch!_ Look what you've done to my wrist!" Ranveer gave her an exasperated look before replying irritably.

"Stop fretting like a five-year old. Besides, you wouldn't listen to sense."

"Oh yeah! This is what you _always_ do. Either manhandle me, or, or burn finger marks or bruises over my wrist!" Ranveer glared at her while she glared back at him. They glared daggers at each other for several moments before Ishaani took a deep breath, indignation getting replaced by weary resignation while she looked at him now beseechingly before speaking.

"Ranveer, I-"

"_Enough_." He did not speak in a rude voice nor in an unkind tone, but his tone had a finality to it. He rubbed his temple before speaking. "I don't think this conversation is going anywhere now." Ishaani was taken aback at the sudden change in the direction of their argument.

"But we didn't-" She fumbled and Ranveer cut her through.

"Go home. You're too worked up to think straight anymore. I myself can't think straight anymore." Ishaani was surprised at this curt dismissal, but she didn't argue anymore. Instead, she only nodded her head and left the room abruptly, slamming the door hard behind her.

Ranveer stared at the place where Ishaani stood moments ago, the rush of emotions and adrenaline fading away quickly, as he sat on one of the chairs at the coffee table, his face in his palms. Barely five minutes later, there were swift rapping on his door and Ranveer muttered a bored 'Come in'. Martin entered the room, a frightened expression on his face.

"_Monsieur_! What happened over here? I just saw _madame_ leaving all upset and-"

"She wouldn't listen to sense."

"She looked frightfully hysterical. I met her in the hallway and she told me to take care of you and to give you your medicines on time and-."

Martin stopped speaking abruptly as Ranveer smiled at him sadly while the latter now looked actually afraid.

"Oh, come now Martin. Don't stare at me like I've gone insane. I'm completely alright."

"But _madame_-"

"She'll come around."

"But _monsieur,_ what if she leaves Greece and goes away forever?" Martin looked at Ranveer in panic, afraid why Ranveer couldn't grasp the simple fact of the statement and was instead simply sitting and smiling at him like he had gone mad.

"Calm down, Martin. Take deep breaths." Martin looked like he was going to explode in a bout of frantic pleading, but Ranveer held up his hand. "Martin, she is not going anywhere. I know her that much atleast. Her one sacrifice of staying away from me tore her apart into shreds." He smiled distantly, his mind lost in some other memory while he continued.

"She was never one who could suppress her love and live. She never knew the painful dam that one had to build around one's heart, with love like that. And I _saw_ that dam break today, through her eyes." He sighed, looking at Martin wearily. "I just hope I made my point pretty clear enough to enter her head once and for all."

Martin looked confused and still didn't look convinced. Ranveer buried his face in his palms and spoke through it.

"Martin, we've both lost enough in these years. Friendship, family, love, companionship... _everything_. Neither of us now have the will to start life all over again nor separately. Both of us have lost too much."

"But why was _madame_ in such a fit of hysteria?"

"Because she had been keeping a lot to herself for a lot of time. Her fears, her insecurities... I'm sure she must have confided some of it to Martha, but not the major part of it. She needs time to come to terms with everything that just happened in these two days. And moreover, in these three years." A flicker of understanding reflected through Martin's eyes as he finally understood a part of the scenario that just happened.

"But monsieur, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know, Martin. I really don't know. But all I do know is that I'm never, ever letting her out of my sight again. I'm done having to wait around all my life for her like a pathetic loser. It's about time I took to writing this story _with my own hands_." Martin looked at Ranveer, whose eyes were afire and gave him a teary smile before exclaiming happily.

"_Monsieur_, I've never, ever seen you this _alive_ in these three years."

"I've never felt so myself in these three years." Ranveer smiled at Martin before a thought struck his mind. "Martin, will you do me a favor?"

"Anything, _monsieur_."

"Just make sure that Ishaani reaches home safely tonight. I never quite trust her when she's this upset." Martin nodded his head, knowing what was to be done next. He left the room immediately while Ranveer simply shut the door of his room swiftly before his eyes fell on a book on the table. Looking at it curiously, he walked up to the table and saw the cover page. _Hamlet. _

His curiosity awakened_, _he opened the book to see who it belonged to for he had never read or laid eyes on any copy of_ Hamlet _in his life. He saw the letters_ I.P. _written on the top right hand corner of the book_. _He smiled while picking up the copy and kept it in his drawer, where a picture of hers already sat perched inside, her smile stronger and more powerful than the sunlight streaming into the room.

She had indeed given him a new life the previous night. A new life, where the mistakes of the past that were to be carried forward as experiences and a tattered book, where their story would be re-written once again.

* * *

It was 7 in the evening. Ishaani was preparing coffee when the doorbell rang. Surprised at the hour of the call and slightly suspicious, she opened the door, a rolling pin in her hand, only to find Martin standing at the doorstep, completely drenched while sneezing continuously, his face a pale green.

"Mr. Martin!" She looked at him surprised before her eyes narrowed in suspicion, her tone slightly accusatory. "What are you doing _here_?"

"Oh _madame_! What are you- _*achoo* -_doing here?"

"Why I live here, ofcourse!" She looked at him shivering before she exclaimed apologetically. "Do come in, you are completely soaked to the skin!"

"It is my bad fortune, _madame_! The car I came in got spoilt and I got completely wet! I told monsieur to send me another car, but it is going to take three quarters of an hour. The traffic is insane! I tried to repair the car but I got a shock!" Martin looked pale as he showed Ishaani his fingers that looked slightly burnt while he was now shivering profusely. Ishaani quickly got him a towel to dry himself in.

"Martin do you have an attaché kit with you? Good, use my washroom and do get out from those wet clothes. There are high chances of getting pneumonia in that." Martin gave her a frightened look and rushed to the washroom while Ishaani smiled once again at the uncanny use of her sentence. She quickly poured out two cups of coffee and kept them on the dining table.

Martin came out after 5 minutes, his face a mixed blotch of red and white. He quickly replaced his clothes in the attaché kit and happily accepted the cup of coffee with shivering hands.

"_Merci beaucoup, madame_! I would have certainly fallen ill had I not gotten off those clothes sooner. I'm allergic to rains, you know. And the odds of a shower in June, it's astronomical!"

"Speaking of _astronomical_, how did you end up here in Drosini Street?"

"Monsieur is planning to construct a building over in this locality and he needed some papers from the land owners living in the next street. Since he still isn't well, Claudine strictly instructed him complete bed rest. So monsieur sent me to collect his papers. His secretary is on leave for a week, you see. And when I reached here, it started raining like crazy and my car got spoilt._ Quelle horreur!"_

"Looks like even God must be sad today." Martin looked at her puzzled before illumination struck him.

"_Madame_, are you talking about _monsieur's_ idea of how an unexpected shower means that even the Lord Almighty is crying?" Ishaani nodded at him and smiled.

"So, you've heard about it." Ishaani's expression changed into one of bewilderment before speaking once again, concern laded in her voice. "Why isn't Ranveer still well? He looked alright to me in the afternoon."

"It seems he overexerted himself, as per what Claudine had to say. So the fever came back along with the headache." Ishaani's expression softened, worry etched on her face now before she asked him slowly.

"What did Claudine say?"

"She was pretty cross at _monsieur_ for neglecting his health, so she has ordered him to three days of strict bed rest. Now not even the God Almighty can save him from her wrath."

"Serves him right." Ishaani rolled her eyes while Martin stared at her helplessly.

"Now, now _madame_, are you still upset with _monsieur_?"

"Oh yeah. Your _monsieur_ has really messed up my head." Martin smiled at her meekly before a call came on his phone. He took Ishaani's hand in his own and kissed them with polite courtesy.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, _madame_. But I must be leaving now. The driver has come with the spare car." Ishaani nodded at him and saw him to the doorstep, as the driver came along the threshold with an umbrella for Martin.

"Do take care and reach home, Mr. Martin. It's pouring cats and dogs."

* * *

Martin knocked at the door and an irritated 'Come in' ensued from within the room. Martin shook his head and entered while Ranveer scowled at him.

"What took you so long?" Martin looked at Ranveer apologetically before speaking.

"I regret most sincerely, _monsieur_, the traffic was formidable!" Ranveer jerked his head before he looked at Martin and spoke childishly.

"Martin, you've got to help me! You've got to speak to Claudine! She can't keep me confined to my room for 3 days! That's barbaric!"

"Come now, monsieur, you know it's for your own good." Martin gave Ranveer a meaningful look before he continued. "Meanwhile you can work out a theory as to how you are going to calm _madame_ off. She didn't look any too pleased about the whole scene in the afternoon, though she did soften up when I told her you were ill again." Ranveer nodded his head absent-mindedly before Martin spoke again.

"I followed madame about. She'd gone to the beach and then headed home."

"How did you know where she would be?" Ranveer asked him curiously while Martin smiled gleefully.

"_Madame Brandt _suggested me to go to the beach, when I called her up, asking for _madame'_s address." Ranveer nodded his head appreciatively before taking on an authoritative tone.

"Did you find out what I asked you about?"

"_Mais oui, monsieur_. And I also did a bit of research about her whereabouts in the past three years."

"Go ahead."

"She has been staying on Drosini Street in Voula ever since she came to Greece. The house is a pleasant, one bedroom structure. She used to work as a financial advisor for two years at a multinational company before she quit and joined Mrs. Brandt's library. She has been doing quite fine."

"What about her financial credentials?"

"Pretty alright. Has reasonable savings in bank, honored all tax payments, no loans or defaults. She's clear." Ranveer heaved a sigh of relief before he continued.

"Did she suspect your appearance tonight?"

"I think I managed to pull off my appearance alright. She did suspect me at first, but I was shivering a lot so she beckoned me in quickly. But I managed to cook up a convincing story." Martin narrated the scenario to him while Ranveer looked surprised now.

"Did she buy it?"

"She didn't look quite convinced, but then I mentioned your ill-health and diverted the conversation." Ranveer shook his head in amusement before he calmly looked at Martin.

"You really astonish me with your loyalty, Martin. I can't believe you actually got yourself wet in the rains, knowing that you fall so ill in them. And if that was not enough, you actually shocked yourself! You're even more mental than I am!" Martin looked abashed for a moment before he smiled sheepishly.

"Stop smiling at me Martin and do have Claudine look you up as well." Martin smiled fondly at Ranveer while the latter shook his head in a disgruntled manner before speaking once again.

"Well, atleast I know now that she has been doing alright. One less thing to worry about." Martin nodded his head before he curiously asked Ranveer the same question once again, that had been troubling him for quite some time.

"But now what,_ monsieur_?"

"I've got the perfect solution for our... _situation_." Martin looked at Ranveer eagerly, his eagerness reflecting in his next question.

"What are you going to do?" Smiling at Martin, the first ever true smile that managed to reach his eyes in three years, he simply nodded his head while he spoke with passionate determination.

"Write our story all over again."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Rekindling a New Friendship**

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D**

* * *

Next day, back at the library, Martha was busy pondering over a notebook, scribbling away rapidly while Ishaani was arranging some of the books in their proper order, lost in thought. Ishaani was living in the memory of hers and Ranveer's dance at the party once again when Martha's voice cut through.

"Darling, what do you think of Shakespeare as a person?"

"He was a mental fool really." Ishaani replied absent-mindedly, while trying to stuff one of the copies of _The Bourne Identity_ in its place.

"Ishaani!" She spun around quickly and saw Martha staring at her, her mouth wide open, her cheeks puce. "I won't have you voicing such views about Shakespeare in my library!" Ishaani slapped herself mentally as she remembered Martha's fanatic love for Shakespeare and her 'zero-tolerance' policy for anyone who bad-mouthed him.

"I'm sorry! I was thinking about something else and I-"

"Darling, I really love you, but had this been someone else, I'd have banished them from this library for life."

"I'm so sorry. I was lost in thought and I don't know... it just... sort of came out." Martha didn't look impressed in the least and Ishaani rolled her eyes at her.

"I said I'm _sorry_! And besides, why couldn't you have framed your question better asking about his good qualities rather than a general view!" Martha looked like she would explode while Ishaani looked afraid, knowing that she'd gone too far.

Martha stared at Ishaani, observing her face for a few moments before she composed herself. She could see that Ishaani's eyes were red and puffy, while she had light, purple bags around her eyes. Her cheeks were blotchy and her nose was red. Martha looked at her shrewdly through her spectacles before speaking placidly.

"It's my bad. Besides, it's a pity Shakespeare got to the wrong side of your books. But he isn't the only one now, _is he_?" Ishaani looked at Martha for several moments, a blush creeping up her face that was soon replaced by indignation, before she huffed out.

"He dismissed me from his room! How _dare_ he! I'm supposed to be his bloody_ wife_!" Martha took a deep breath, her face returning to its normal colour once again.

"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Tell me everything that happened." Ishaani came and sat by Martha and narrated their entire conversation from the previous day. Martha listened to her patiently, speaking only once Ishaani finished her narration.

"Is he alright now?"

"Martin says that he has been confined to a strict 3-day bed rest. And all this just because I spooked him silly with my appearance in the party."

"I don't really blame the guy. He's bound to be upset."

"I can't believe that you'd side with him!"

"Darling, you know the scenario best. So don't go about fooling yourself in silly grudges. Besides, I don't blame the guy for getting an anxiety attack! Had this scenario happened with me seeing my dead husband, I'd be pretty sure that I'd die in shock!"

"Martha!" Ishaani shrieked reproachfully.

"Oh alright, alright. Don't get yourself worked up now. Anyways, the library will be shutting at 1. Go over to his place and visit him. I have to head over to Athens for my seminar as well." Ishaani's expression softened as she hugged Martha lovingly.

"Do take care of yourself Martha. I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, honey. Do make sure that you take care of yourself and of Ranveer as well. And please, I want to see something pleasantly surprising when I get back." Ishaani cocked her eyebrow up in confusion, while Martha smirked.

"Martha, you're just going for 3 days. What on Earth do you expect will happen in these three days?"

"Well, that's the thing now. Surprise me." Ishaani rolled her eyes at Martha while the latter smiled and kissed her on her cheek.

"You sure you'll be able to manage the library now?"

"Positive."

"Good." Just then, Martha's eyes fell on a bunch of boys, who she remembered were the same bunch of ones she had thrown out of the library the previous day. "Oh look, those boys again. Ishaani, do shoo them away from here before they throw ink all over the place again."

* * *

Ishaani rang the doorbell once again. The door opened within five minutes, with Martin at the door. He smiled brightly at the sight of Ishaani, while he ushered her in happily. She looked at him and shook her head, embarrassed at his unashamed display of happiness, before she asked him.

"How is Ranveer now?"

"He isn't good at all, madame." A frown crossed Ishaani's face as she asked him, her tone worried.

"What happened?"

"Monsieur is in a very bad temper. He won't allow anyone enter his room, not even me." Ishaani drew out a long breath of relief while she glared at Martin.

"You scared the hell out of me just now." Martin looked at her embarrassed before mumbling a sincere apology. Ishaani felt highly amused by the situation, while a playful smile came up her lips.

"So Claudine hasn't lifted the ban yet?"

"No. She is quite firm over it."

Ishaani nodded her head, barely managing to control her chuckles as she made her way over to Ranveer's room. She gently knocked the door, a strange happiness erupting in her heart, driving away all the negative thoughts and pessimistic approaches of life and settling her mind on the bliss of some unknown happiness.

"Martin, go away. I don't want to talk to anybody." Ishaani could make out that Ranveer was in a foul temper and that Martin had not been exaggerating. She only smiled and continued.

"It's me." A small silence continued, before she heard a soft tone replace the irritated one from the other side of the door.

"The door is open." Ishaani turned the handle and entered the room, the sunlight hitting her face with full force, but she was ready for it.

She smiled as Ranveer lowered down the book he was reading, a broad smile coming up his face. She could not remain angry on him anymore. It was as though life had given her a second chance to be with him, to re-live all those moments that were lost within the endless realms of loyalty and sacrifice, to hold him in her arms forever and never let him away from her for another moment again.

"Ishaani! What are you doing here?" There was sheer joy in his voice, as though those three years had never happened, as though there had nothing been wrong between them away. They might have been living in the world of 5 years ago, where their friendship was the sole reason to live each day so fully in each other's company.

"I came to see you. Martin told me that your health had relapsed a bit. Are you alright now?"

"I'm perfectly fine, unless you count going mentally insane by being locked up in a room." Ranveer looked at Ishaani smiling at him happily and a similar smile crossed his face within a matter of moments. She still had the power to revolve his mood from anger to simple happiness and it was for the first time after three years that he had got to see her smile so carelessly.

Beckoning her inside through his eyes, he sat up on the bed alertly, while Ishaani occupied the armchair from two nights ago, a warm smile on her face. They smiled at each other for several minutes, before Ranveer initiated the conversation.

"Thanks for coming to see me. And I'm sorry about yesterday."

"I'm sorry about yesterday too. But there are a lot more things that I'm sorry about. But I'm not sure that it's going to be enough. Not this time, I guess." Ranveer sighed before speaking.

"You're right. Both of us have done far too many mistakes to ask forgiveness for."

"What are you talking about? What did you-"

"If I've been complaining about you not treating me right yesterday, then I think I was being pretty hypocritical given that I didn't treat you any better back during out whole misunderstanding phase. And there is no point defending each other's actions because we both know that whatever happened, no matter what the circumstances, was absolutely wrong, right from the start of our marriage."

Ishaani simply shrugged her shoulders, while at a loss of words. Ranveer continued.

"I gave a lot of thought to everything you told me yesterday. And I've come to a conclusion." Ishaani nodded her head in acknowledgement and looked at him curiously.

"And?"

"I've come to realize that our relationship has suffered far too much damage to be taken through any further. Maybe its best if we just end it here, yesterday's conversation being the final point."

"Wait, _what_? That's it?" But somehow, Ishaani still felt that same euphoria in her heart bubble even stronger, as though a new ray of hope was steadily cracked through the dark, lost corners of her heart. She tilted her head slightly on one side, before speaking once again, a curiosity peaking in her tone. "Why do I feel there's much more to what you have to say?" Ranveer simply stared at her and laughed.

"You _amaze_ me really." Ishaani felt colour creep up her cheek while Ranveer laughed at Ishaani's reaction cheerfully, his first own true laughter in those three years, before he got a grip on himself and continued.

"And yes, there is more to this. Along with the end of this relationship, there'll be the start of a new one."

"A _new_ one?"

"I've come to realize that the main problem in our relationship was trust. Somehow, both of us have a lot of issues trusting each other with secrets, which has more than often cost us a part of our life. So, the first step to our new relationship will be establishing trust, the same blind trust that we had over each other before I left the Parekh mansion. And I know just the right way to go about with it."

"Which is?"

"I'll tell you. But first, I need you to answer something for me." Ishaani's curiosity increased steadily, as she stared at Ranveer. His eyes were now afire with those same pools of love and passion that she used to see for herself and she gazed at him transfixed. She could finally see _her_ Ranveer back in those chocolate eyes, not the cold shell that she had seen two days ago, who would still give her a shiver down her spine every time she thought about it.

"On what basis did you come to visit me today? As my _wife_ or as my _best friend_?"

"_Best friend_." The answer slipped away from her lips even before she consciously thought about it. Ranveer smiled at her and continued.

"I was banking on this answer. You see, our relationship so far has been pretty... _complicated_. We were friends first, then estranged, then got married out of the blue, then I came to hate you, you came to love me, we both fell in love and then separated for good. You see, there isn't any proper graph to our relationship."

"What are you getting at?"

"Simply this. With the start of our new relationship, I want the two of us to bury all past history between us and begin our life afresh, starting from the point of friendship. We both love each other and that love will be our beacon of light in this relationship. The mistakes we have made will be our experiences. And we will only now ascend to the next level of our relationship when we both think we are ready for it."

Ishaani gave this considerate thought before smiling at him.

"I think I'd like that. For once, I want a relationship between us that is as simple and innocent as our friendship used to be back then. I'm tired of aching this bad. I just need the comforting arms of a friend now. A friend who knows me and understands me. And I don't think I could find anyone better than you."

Ranveer smiled at her and got up from his place. He came and stood beside the armchair and extended a hand towards Ishaani.

"So, friends?" Ishaani stood up and ruffled his hair playfully before extending her hand, holding it in a firm handshake.

"Friends."

Both of them stared at each other for a minute, their hands held within each other's, a calm bliss taking over them, before Ishaani felt herself fall into Ranveer's arms once again, holding on to his sweatshirt, while his arms wrapped around her back. She smiled sweetly against his chest, taking in his scent, while he rested his head over hers. She didn't know whether it were minutes or hours that passed by, before she lifted her head and looked into Ranveer's eyes, entranced at the way they glowed in the sunlight, before whispering.

"It feels good to be back home."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :) :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: A Coffee at Balzac**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer put on his jacket while staring at his reflection in the mirror once again, observing the smile on his face, something that he had forgotten to do in a long time. Putting on cologne and strapping on his watch, he merrily left the room, humming a tune to himself. He reached the end of the staircase, when he saw Martin and Claudine embracing.

Quickly turning his face to the other side, he cleared his throat loudly before both of them yelped away from each other, color creeping in their cheeks at the sight of Ranveer.

"Ranveer! What are you doing here?"

"I suppose this is my house." Ranveer snickered while Claudine rolled her eyes. "What kind of a question is that, Claudine?"

"Oh c'mon Ranveer. You know what I mean." Claudine gave Ranveer a meaningful look before speaking.

"No I don't." Ranveer feigned innocence while Martin shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"You still have one day of bed rest remaining."

"Oh no, my last day of bed rest was yesterday." Claudine let out a gasp of surprise before she asked him, confusion evident in her voice.

"Would you care to explain how did you manage to cook up this _brilliant_ calculation?" Ranveer gave her a cheeky grin before he continued.

"Oh it's simple. See, I had my anxiety attack on Thursday night, and since Friday, I've been on strict bed rest. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Today is Monday. See, three days counted off." Ranveer nodded his head with a smirk while counting the days off his fingers. Claudine stared at him, her mouth agape.

"That's not fair! I confined you to bed rest on Friday evening!"

"But you didn't say it was from effect since Friday. For all I know, I've been resting the entire day on Friday. So see, I'm scot free." Claudine turned a helpless look at Martin, who simply shrugged his shoulders. She glared at Ranveer before speaking grudgingly.

"You're simply impossible!"

"I told you my calculation was brilliant." Claudine scowled at him while he threw his arm around her in a side hug. "Relax! I'll have my medication on time, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Show those puppy eyes somewhere else. They aren't going to work with me." Shaking her head in amusement as Ranveer pouted childishly at her, she gave Martin a swift peck once again before bidding them both goodbye and leaving for work. Martin turned to look Ranveer guiltily while the latter gave him a dazzling smile.

"Thanks for the idea, Martin! It worked a wonder."

"Oh _monsieur_, it is completely alright. But, just... don't let her know it was my plan. Today is our third wedding anniversary and I don't want her to be upset with me."

"Ofcourse Martin. This will be just between us. Promise." Martin smiled at him happily before asking Ranveer once again.

"I see that _madame_ has been a regular visitor in these two days." Ranveer shrugged happily at him before turning back to Martin once again.

"I almost forgot. You have the day off today. And when Claudine gets back home, do make the day memorable for her. Afterall, three years is as good as an eternity if you have the right person alongside." Martin nodded at him affectionately before Ranveer smiled at him and left.

* * *

Ishaani roamed around the library, bored and alone. The library was unoccupied except for herself while she yawned steadily with the stifling heat of the afternoon. She missed having Martha around and the library was considerably lonely without her presence. She walked through several shelves, randomly picking out books and reading a few paragraphs from it before getting bored and replacing them again.

She yawned softly as she neared the shelf of horror books and novels and removed a copy of _House of Leaves, _dropping another book alongside. Letting out a groan, she replaced back the book and picked up the fallen book, a copy of _Frankenstein while_ the book had fallen to open up at a random page.

Picking it up, she was about to shut it when the word 'Plainpalais' caught her attention. Curious, she continued reading, her mind getting steadily involved in the curious activities mentioned in the chapter while she now got fully involved into reading. After finishing three chapters, she had half an impulse to shut the book for it was spooking her more and more by the second, yet her mind wanted to read more.

Out of nowhere, she felt two hands slither over her eyes and she shrieked loudly, the copy of _Frankenstein_ flying out of her hand. She spun around quickly, kicking and thrashing blindly in the air, color drained from her face and her eyes bulging in fear. She felt herself get pinned to the wall, a hand over her mouth before she realized that it was only Ranveer, who looked afraid himself by her reaction.

"Calm down and stop kicking! It's only me." Ishaani looked at him and heaved a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat beads from her forehead. Looking at him angrily, she slapped his hand off her mouth and pushed him away.

"Are you insane? You almost gave me a _heart attack_!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Looking at the fallen book, he asked her curiously. "What were you reading anyway?"

"Fran... Frankenstein."

"Oh. No wonder you reacted this way. But since when did you start reading horror novels?"

"I don't. I was getting bored and randomly picked out a novel and started reading it and then when that guy... uh, never mind. That book made me sick anyway."

"Oh do sit down. You've gone all pale in fright." Ranveer guided her to the nearest table and made her take a seat while he took the one beside her. She took deep breaths for a couple of moments before she looked at him staring at her with concern.

"I'm alright now. God, I really had a bad fright. But I'm fine." Ishaani gave him an assuring smile before a frown crossed her head.

"What happened?"

"What are you doing _here_?"

"What?"

"I mean, your ban isn't over yet. You should be at home taking rest, not over here."

"Oh, don't worry, Claudine let me off." Ishaani cocked her eyebrow at him and Ranveer explained the entire scenario to her. Ishaani shook her head bemused.

"You are really impossible to beat. But all credit goes to Martin hands down. I knew it that the guy had brains enough to get out of any tricky situation." Ranveer's modesty filled expression changed into a flabbergasted one.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Ishaani simply stuck out her tongue at him and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yeah, you can go about showing that tongue all you want. You didn't look that cheeky enough 5 minutes ago though."

"Oh yeah, you didn't look any better."

"You were raining kicks and slaps at me. What do you expect?"

"What were you even doing in the first place?"

"I was trying to surprise you!"

"That anxiety attack has really shaken up your brain." Ranveer scoffed while Ishaani laughed at him heartily, the former's scowl changing into a warm smile within a matter of minutes and both of them broke out into tumults of laughter seconds later. Getting into control once again after a couple of minutes, Ranveer massaged his throat that felt dry with all the laughing while Ishaani simply caught her head.

"Oh God, I've never laughed this much in an eternity. Why did we ever become such sobbing suckers?"

"That's one question I've never had the answer to. But I'm happy to get shot of that moronic self of mine. Being happy and carefree feels good." Both of them smiled at each other before Ranveer sighed.

"Before I forget why I really came here. What time do you get off?"

"I'll be free by 5. Why?"

"I was thinking maybe we could grab a bite or maybe have a cup of coffee after work. What say?"

"Sounds fun. Where do you want to meet up?"

"Cafe Balzac at 24, Vorreadon Street?"

"I love that place."

"Good, so see you there by 5:30." Ishaani nodded at him while he got up. "So, I guess I'll be seeing you around on time now." Ishaani chuckled at him before speaking.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there at dot point 5:30. I know you hate people who disrespect time, though how you still love me puzzles me a lot."

"Oh, stop getting all deep meaningful. Just be there on time, alright?"

"You got that."

* * *

Ranveer entered the cafe at exactly 5 minutes to half past five. He looked around and spotted Ishaani sitting on one of the tables, looking at the doorway eagerly. Their eyes met for a minute and the world seem to glow stronger around them. He walked towards her and gave her a swift hug before settling down.

"I see that you're early."

"Always the tone of surprise." Ranveer shook his head in amusement before calling the waiter over.

"Yes sir, what would you like to have?"

"I'll have a Frappuccino and a vegetable sandwich with mayonnaise."

"And you, ma'am?"

"I'll have a dark mocha and a vegetable puff." The waiter smiled and took away the order while Ranveer stared at Ishaani confused.

"Dark mocha? But isn't that supposed to be really bitter in taste?"

"It's repugnant." Ranveer frowned at her now.

"I don't understand. You used to hate having anything bitter. Then how come you settled for the mocha? "

Ishaani smiled at him. "It's a long story."

"The order isn't going to come anytime soon. The place is packed." Ranveer raised his eyebrow up suggestively before Ishaani sighed.

"Alright. It was nearly 3 months after I moved here. I was having one of those days where everything goes wrong. That day, I had an ugly fallout with my boss, I lost my wallet, I was having one of those day when I missed you loads and if anything worse, my car got spoilt on the way back home. That was one indeed dark day."

"What happened then?"

"My car broke down in front if this cafe and I was pretty much hungry for I had not eaten anything the whole day. I called up my friend to send for a mechanic while I sat in the cafe. I'd ordered for a chocolate mocha but my order got exchanged for a dark mocha. The moment I sipped it... ugh, it was so awful that I nearly threw up. But I didn't have any more spare change, so I had to have the whole thing."

"Didn't you tell at the counter that your order was exchanged?"

"I didn't. Somehow, the bitter mocha gave me a soothing of its own since I was extremely thirsty. But it also taught me an important lesson alongside."

"What was that?"

"That there are several things bitterer than life itself. So enjoy what you have for what it is, rather than reflect upon its bitter counterpart." Ranveer smiled at her, as the waiter brought the order and laid it across the table. Ranveer thanked the waiter while turning his attention to Ishaani once again.

"And ever since that day, I made it a point to drink this mocha just so that I can remember this lesson of life. And trust me, it's helped me through a lot of tough spots. Besides, I kind of can't get through a day without having a cup of this. You get used to the bitterness eventually and learn to appreciate its sweetness."

"Impressive motto." Ranveer held out his cup of Frappuccino while Ishaani held out her cup of mocha.

"To the sweeter aspects of life." Ishaani smiled at his as she repeated his toast.

"To the sweeter aspects of life."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Magic of Aura**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani was writing some of the entries on the library funds into the ledger when Ranveer entered the library. She looked at him and smiled while she shut the book and capped her pen.

"What sublime timing. I just finished with the ledgers." Ranveer smiled at her as he neared her desk.

"Oh great. Do remind me to take them home when I'm leaving."

"Wait, didn't you come here for the ledgers then?"

"Yes and no." Ishaani raised her eyebrow and Ranveer continued. "Yes because I do need those ledgers by today and no because I finished all of my meetings and had the rest of the day free, so I decided to join you." Ishaani looked at him joyfully while she kept the ledgers in the drawer.

"That's a relief! I was getting bored anyways with Martha still in Athens."

"Wait, wasn't Martha supposed to be back three days ago?"

"Yeah she was, but her trip got extended. There was supposed to be a Summer Book Fair or something yesterday evening and Martha was invited as the chief guest. She did tell me that she should be back before evening though." Ranveer nodded his head while he looked around.

"Oh well. It's bound to get boring when you are all alone in a huge library like this." Noticing that there was no one around, Ranveer asked her inquiringly. "How come it's empty today?"

"I had a couple of people over here in the morning. But no one really visits the library from 12-3. It's lunch break for majority of them." Yawning slowly, she looked at Ranveer, who chuckled at her. "See, that's why it gets pretty boring at this time." Ranveer shook his head before he remembered about one of the reasons that he's come to meet Ishaani.

"Speaking of boring, Martha was asking me about the whole job vacancy thing in my company some days back. Are you interested?" Ishaani shut her eyes and snapped them back open while she mentally slapped herself for completely forgetting about it. Looking at Ranveer, slightly guilty, she muttered in a quiet voice.

"Not really, to be honestly speaking. I'm done with the corporate life. I've had my share of insane monetary and fiscal policy making, but now no more. For once, I'm doing something I like and I want to keep it this way." Ranveer didn't look entirely convinced but he had an understanding look on his face.

"But Martha doesn't look very happy with this whole set up now, does she?"

"No, she isn't. She wants me to have a more 'stable' job in life, as per how she phrases it."

"Well, she isn't wrong. You do need pretty enough to survive in this part of the world. But then again, you aren't wrong either. I always believe that one should do what one likes best."

"I'm glad that you understand. Besides, this library has become a second home for me now. And I've never found so much peace as much as I've found over here amidst all of these books." Ishaani looked around the place fondly while a sardonic look appeared on Ranveer's face.

"Well, that reminds me. Martha had mentioned this particular point to me during one of her reports when she had mentioned you, though I don't know whether it's true. Do you really know the location of almost every book in the library?"

"Yeah, I do." Ishaani responded modestly while Ranveer stared at her, curiosity bubbling in his voice.

"How?"

"By its aura." Ranveer looked at her incredulously before question in a dead-drop tone.

"It's _aura_?"

"Yeah. When I joined here initially, there weren't many name plates on the different section and the library being quite vast, I would get lost several times while searching for the books. That's when I started making my way around through different sections by its aura. And once I found out the right genre that I'd been looking for, navigating the books got pretty easy." Ranveer stared at her deeply for a couple of minutes before he spoke again.

"Show me."

"Show you what?"

"How you do it." Ishaani looked at Ranveer as though he had gone crazy before she rolled her eyes at him.

"What? Have you gone silly? How can I _show_ you aura?" Ranveer slapped his forehead before replying.

"Not the aura, stupid. Give me an example of how you distinguished various sections of the library by the aura of different books." Ishaani gave him a blank stare.

"That isn't possible now. There are name plates everyway and directions around everywhere. Besides, I know every inch of the entire library by heart." Ranveer smirked at her before exclaiming happily.

"Then in that case, I have the perfect way."

* * *

10 minutes later, Ishaani stood blindfolded in the center of the library, with Ranveer holding her shoulders firmly. Ishaani, for the life of it could not understand why she had agreed to such a stupid thing. She suspected that the prime reason for this was because she was plain bored, along with the fact that she hadn't done anything this silly since ages and Martha wasn't going to be there for another couple of hours.

Ranveer had procured the blindfold from the silk linen in the pocket of his three-piece suit. Making sure that the blindfold was tight enough that she could not cheat, he smiled mischievously and twirled her around twice while Ishaani lost all sense of direction as to where she was standing. She felt Ranveer close to her ear as he whispered slowly.

"It's time you start feeling the aura." Feeling a shiver run down her spine as his voice caused an eruption of excitement within her, she felt Ranveer guide her slowly forward, his arm on her shoulder so that she wouldn't hit anything. She felt him lead her forward for some time before she felt their steps shudder and come a halt.

"Any guesses where we are standing?"

Ishaani had a hard time concentrating for Ranveer's voice kept penetrating her thoughts, the huskiness in his whisper causing jitters to appear in her stomach. She had never felt like this ever since the last time they were in such close proximity back during Ritika and Sharman's engagement preparations and it only made her heart flutter with anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to tune out thoughts about Ranveer and a calm fell upon her while she breathed in the air about her with a deep sense of purpose. She felt an anticipation build up in her heart, something very disconnected to her own, like a budding mystery in the suspense novel. _Suspense._

_"_Is this the Mystery/Suspense section?"

"How I wish I could have lied and say no. But yes, you are correct." Ishaani smiled blindly while Ranveer led her once again to the next section. This time, she noticed that the route was longer and had quite a bit of turns. Stopping again, Ranveer whispered once again.

"Now where are we standing?"

Ishaani took a deep sigh. She slowly removed Ranveer's arms from over her shoulders and blindly navigated her way through the shelf row. Running her hands over the bindings and covers of various books, she returned back to Ranveer after 2 whole minutes and simply whispered back.

"Poetry."

"Wow that was... wow."

"You didn't really believe me when I said that I could know the genre of a book by its aura now, did you?" Ranveer looked slightly abashed before responding honestly.

"Not really, no. Though I know that you were never amongst those people who would cook up fantastic stories." Ishaani snorted at him playfully before sticking out her tongue blindly in the wrong direction and asking.

"Do you want to continue?" Turning Ishaani around so that she actually faced him, Ranveer laughed at her bizarre expression while she realized her mistake.

"Yes. This is fun. This is a crazier version of hide-and-seek." Ishaani laughed out loud, her voice ringing in the entire library while Ranveer shook his head amused.

Ranveer then led her through seven different sections of Psychology, Thriller, Angst, Medical Encyclopedias, Tragedy, Adventure and Sci-Fi, of which Ishaani guessed all correctly. The two broke out into an argument over Medical Encyclopedias, for Ishaani simply touched the books and concluded that it could only be Medical Encyclopedias because of its fatness while Ranveer argued that it was not qualified for it did not come under feeling the aura and that it was not an acceptable reason. They argued the whole way till the next section until Ishaani fell silent abruptly and instantly whispered 'Tragedy'.

Having no more reason to complain, Ranveer led her to the remaining two sections, falling back to his silent instructions while Ishaani felt that same flutter of excitement break out every time he whispered in her ears. Leading her to the final section for their game, Ranveer gently spun her around twice before whispering in her ear once again.

"This is the final one."

Ishaani once again put aside thoughts about their strange escapade and tried to focus on the task in hand. Somehow, this time, the fluttering in her heart wouldn't stop and she felt engulfed into the emotion of love. Bewildered at first at this crazy turn in her emotions, she later on understood the reason behind her turbulent emotions.

"Romance." Taking of the blindfold, which slipped on the ground unnoticed, she turned to stare at Ranveer with a triumphant expression, which quickly faltered. Ranveer was leaning on the shelf, his arms crossed over his chest, a loving look in his eyes that Ishaani instantly recognized to be the same look he would give her many a times back when they were friends. Even though he thought that she had never noticed it, in reality she had, but had only mistaken it for a loving, friendly look rather than the look of one-sided love.

Ishaani smiled at him while he smiled back at her simply, an amazed look in his eyes.

"You are still the same. You know that, right?"

"You haven't changed either."

"No?"

"No."

Ishaani walked towards him while Ranveer suddenly looked alert, the tension between them reaching a point. Ishaani was about to hug him when her stiletto got caught up on the fallen blindfold and she slipped, her arms half-way in the air and her balance askew before Ranveer caught her. Red with embarrassment for a couple of moments over this comical turn of events, Ishaani and Ranveer burst out into peals of laughter while she still lay half fallen into his arms.

Their laughter dying down soon, they stared into each other's eyes, love and longing for each other's presence reflected within each other's orbs. Ishaani cupped his cheek while his arm remained securely around her waist, preventing her fall. The moment seemed to glow around them, a sweet happiness surging through their veins faster than blood while their hearts thumped louder, every minute only increasing the beats of their hearts more and more. Ranveer lowered his head towards hers, their noses brushing against each other's, before a voice cracked through, breaking the hypnosis of the moment.

"My, my, what a surprise!"

Ranveer let go of his hold on Ishaani in shock while Ishaani lost her balance and half-fell down, holding the shelf of the bookcase as a support that stopped her complete fall.

"Martha! What... what are you doing here?" Ranveer burned red as he saw Martha smirking at the two of them while Ishaani glared daggers at Ranveer before noticing Martha staring at them. Ranveer quickly saw Ishaani on the ground and helped her up swiftly, apologizing sincerely while making sure not to make eye-contact with her. Ishaani's eyes met Martha's for a moment and the former quickly turned her gaze away, her cheeks turning crimson with the combined effect of being flustered and flabbergasted.

"Well, I returned back an hour ago and thought I'd check up on Ishaani. What were the two of you up to anyway?"

"We... we were just..."

"On second thought, let it be. I'm really sorry though; I didn't want to interrupt your moment. But now that Ishaani is pretty much in _safe hands_, I guess I might as well head back home." When neither Ishaani nor Ranveer spoke anything, Martha simply shook her head and laughed at them.

"Honey, you were indeed spot on when you said that the magic of aura can indeed bewitch the mind." Ishaani reddened more while Martha simply winked at the two of them before making her way out of the library. The moment Martha left the library, Ranveer and Ishaani turned to look at each other before Ranveer looked at Ishaani flustered.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to drop you! Are you alright? _Why are you laughing?"_

Ishaani laughed at Ranveer's expression while he looked at her in confusion. Getting a bit of breath, Ishaani continued.

"Oh my! That was a close one. Kind of reminds us of the old days now, doesn't it?" Both of their eyes met and memories of their several past escapades replayed in their mind, until the memory of what was supposed to be their first kiss played in both of their heads. Ishaani frowned slightly while Ranveer had an embarrassed look on his face.

"Oh please, Ishaani. Atleast this time, when we do kiss, I'm going to make sure it's a proper one, instead of having a bizarre CPR one, even if that means I have to kiss you in front of the whole of Vari." Ishaani blushed under his gaze before punching him on his shoulder.

"Oh stop it. There's still a long way to go for that yet."

* * *

That night, Ishaani sat on her bed and stared at the blindfold, their time from the afternoon finally making its way in her mind while the emotions coursing through her exploded in her mind with its full impact. She bit her lip slowly, as she ran her fingers over the blindfold absent-mindedly before her eyes fell on the cupboard. Getting up from the bed, she walked towards the cupboard and opened it. She drew open an empty drawer in it further and kept the blindfold in it, smiling to herself while thinking.

"Well, that's the first souvenir of our new story."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Insight Comes At a Heavy Cost**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The waves flowed powerfully along the shore while they hit the rocks in full force. The wind had a salty air about it the filled the atmosphere with a musty smell that was usually associated with the sea. The beach was almost empty, given that it was a Wednesday, and the few people on the beach where either couples or teenagers having fun.

Ranveer and Ishaani walked along the shore line, their fingers interlocked, and a huge smile one their faces. Ishaani wore a loosely buttoned white shirt top and a three-fourth baggy corduroy pant while Ranveer wore a turquoise shirt along with a pair of shorts. Both of them had their glares on while Ishaani donned a straw hat to protect herself from the heat.

They took several rounds along the water, the water cold and cool over their feet while the sand trickled over and under. Ishaani squealed with joy as she kicked the water and splashed it around like a child while Ranveer stared at her antics, amused.

After several minutes of joyful kicking and splashing that ended up with both Ranveer and Ishaani getting completely drenched, both of them made their way to the upper part of the beach with the paraffin umbrella stood, along with their belongings. Ishaani took out the towel and wiped her hair while she wiped Ranveer's too.

Ishaani and Ranveer then slept on the two chairs, the wind sweeping around them pleasantly and the umbrella providing a good shade from the sun. Just then Ishaani and Ranveer's eyes fell on a group of teenagers passing by, a group of 5 girls and 1 boy. The girls were all looking at the boy's bare torso mesmerized, and boy looked a little too flattered with all the attention he was receiving.

When the group passed through their spot, Ishaani noticed that there was a long scar on the boy's torso and the girls were going crazy and pestering the boy to tell them how he had come to get such a scar. The moment the group passed by, Ishaani snorted and rolled her eyes while Ranveer snickered.

"What is wrong with girls these days? Drooling over scars, for crying out loud!"

"Come now_ Sunny_, haven't you ever heard about the fact that girls usually find boys with scars like that very attractive. Girls always find a very tragic and heroic story attached to the scar." Ishaani smiled sweetly at the mention of the name _Sunny_, but frowned at him after the rest of the sentence.

"Well, I haven't heard such kind of nonsense in my whole life." Ranveer gave her a disbelieving look.

"Oh come on. I can't believe you would say that, that too after having met a person with such a similar scar." Ishaani let out a surprised gasp while Ranveer smiled.

"_Me?_ I haven't met anyone with that kind of scar till now." Ranveer cocked her eyebrow at her before smiling notoriously.

"You really don't remember now, do you?" His tone was challenging and Ishaani caught on to it instantly.

"Are you trying to say you know that I know someone with a scar like that?" Ishaani cocked up her eyebrows in defiance while Ranveer stared at her confidently.

"Yes. And if I know right, even you know the guy pretty well."

"First of all, you speak as though I have seen every guy's torso for scars." Rolling his eyes at him, she chuckled. "You are really insane, you know that right?" Ranveer scowled at her before speaking.

"You know I did not mean that. But all I'm saying is that you have met a guy with a scar." Ishaani looked at Ranveer incredulously.

"And out of all the hundreds and thousands of people I met, how on earth do you think I'm going to remember that?" Ranveer gave her a disgruntled look before an idea came to him.

"Fine. Do you want to bet?" Ishaani looked at him confused.

"Bet what?"

"That you have met such a person." Ishaani rolled her rolled at him before speaking reasonably.

"Stop being childish. It's ridiculous and doesn't make sense at all."

"Oh please. Yes or no?"

"I-"

"Alright, if I win, we are going to Vegas for my birthday." Ishaani could now see the true hidden motive of the whole bet. Ranveer had been trying to convince her for a trip to Vegas for his birthday since the last three days while Ishaani had point blank refused.

"Again with Vegas! You are obsessed with it!" Ranveer now gave her an irritated look before retorting heatedly.

"Well, is it a yes or no?" Ishaani knew that Ranveer was stubborn enough to not back down. Grudgingly she replied while her mind ran over several excuses as to show she could worm her way out from this trip.

"Ugh, fine! And if I win?"

"We get to go scuba diving for my birthday." Ishaani studied Ranveer's expression carefully. The idea of going scuba diving was tempting enough for her, but she knew that Ranveer hated anything got to do with so much water. She knew that either Ranveer was simply bluffing or else he was absolutely sure about the fact, but either way, it meant that she would have to call out his card by betting in.

"Fine. Bring it on."

"You must be quite confident that you never have met anybody with a scar." When Ishaani glared at him, Ranveer smirked and continued.

"Alright. I'll give you three simple clues. You will be able to guess him within a matter of seconds." Ishaani groaned inwardly while giving him a resigned look.

"Alright. Begin."

"First: you love the guy. Second: You married him. Third: He's sitting right beside you." Ishaani stared at him stunned for several minutes.

"_You_! Damn it, why didn't it strike me before!" Ranveer stuck out his tongue at her while she stared at him dewy eyed.

"I didn't know that you were talking about _that_ scar."

"Well, didn't I tell you that scars have always got a tragic and heroic story along with it? Mine had betrayal, tragedy and heart-break, just for starters." Ishaani gave him a dead pan look before she slapped his arm harshly.

"Don't be such a prat. And go to Vegas alone for all I care. The bet was a hoax anyway." Ranveer stuck out his tongue to her, but Ishaani's expression did not falter.

"AHA! You're being a spoilt sport now."

"No I'm not. The bet was a senseless one and I'm definitely not going to visit Vegas with someone as unruly and... and obnoxious as yourself!" Ranveer could see her seething at him and he gave her an apologetic look.

"Alright, I'm sorry. There, I said it. Atleast now don't be angry with me. _Please_." Ishaani turned her face away from his before she muttered fiercely.

"Please go drown yourself."

"Fine. I'll go do that." Ranveer made to get up but she pulled his hand back so that he fell back on his chair.

"I have no strength to go and swim you out all over again. You're way too heavy." Ranveer chuckled immoderately but he noticed that Ishaani still had that distant look in her eyes.

"That's good. Atleast you aren't as angry as to want me dead." Ishaani stared at him in horror, he eyes bulging in some unexplained emotion.

"Oh stop it! You're too fascinated with death." Ranveer thought through her statement twice before replying.

"I've seen it once and lived through it. It's bound to catch your fancy." Ishaani clapped her hands over her mouth before she ran them through her hair in a frenzy.

"God, you are freaking me out!"

"Alright, I'm sorry!" Ishaani suddenly looked at him blankly, her eyes in some turbulent storm and simply nodded. Ranveer looked worried, knowing that he had ruined her mood completely with his stupid talk and apologized several times, but she would only simply nod her head each time.

They got up and took several rounds along the seashore again, but Ishaani was silent this time, the grip on Ranveer's hand stronger than usual while she looked slightly pale. Ranveer didn't feel too good either, not because he had ruined Ishaani's mood, but because he had brought up one of the most painful moments in his life, not only mentally or emotionally, but physically as well. It still gave him shivers when he thought about that moment, it's endless agony all crammed together in those few minutes before he lost his consciousness while his limbo in the hours succeeding it.

They silently had their lunch at a cafe near the beach and Ranveer dropped Ishaani home later. It had already become dusk by the time they reached her place and Ranveer gave her a swift hug before he left. Ishaani saw Ranveer's car fading away in the distance while she entered her house, her hands shaking and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Ishaani sat on the bed, a chain in her hand, a pendant gleaming in the light. She ran it through her fingers, flinching at times as though she had been shocked suddenly. She stared at the pendant, a now greenish-golden bullet while she stared at it, her eyes bulging as the frightful scene of the life leaving Ranveer's eyes played before her own, a look of betrayal and suffused angst etched in her memory forever. She quietly put the chain around her neck, the bullet touching the exact spot of her heart, a cold dawning of the fact that this same bullet had nearly claimed the life of the person with whom her own heart stayed within.

She silently shut the lights of her room, switching off her phone alongside while she could feel the cold metal pressed against her heart, a lifelessness spreading within alongside.

* * *

Ranveer paced about the room restlessly, his mind in a distress. He had called Ishaani a couple of times, but her phone remained switched off. He knew it was too early for her to sleep, for it was only seven in the evening.

He knew there was something drastically wrong with her and that he had frightened her with his talk about fancying death. He had seen her pallor go white, his pupils dilated as though living a horror of the past. She had fallen completely silent ever since their banter had to come to an abrupt end and her cheerfulness from the past two weeks seemed to have disappeared as well.

Quickly making up his mind, he slipped out of his room and met Martin halfway through, informing him that he wouldn't be around for dinner and walked swiftly towards the door.

An hour later, Ranveer was standing at the threshold of Ishaani's house, hammering away at her doorbell. He had called her nearly 35 times, only to get a switched off message and he tried her landline, but it kept going on the answering message. The house was doused in complete darkness from what Ranveer could make out through the windows. Out of nowhere, a phrase crossed his mind that seemed to have frozen his insides.

_"Well, I've been asking Ishaani to stay over at my place tonight, because it's really late and the place where she stays is pretty dangerous for a girl at this time of night. Lots of muggings."_

Gulping worriedly as Martha's words floated around his head, he made knock the door, but it simply swung open. Ranveer opened the door completely and rushed into the hallway, shutting the door swiftly behind him. He could hear someone sobbing from one of the rooms within. More afraid, he ran quickly into the room from where the sobbing was persistent. The room was devoid of light and it took Ranveer a couple of moments before his eyes got accustomed to the surrounding.

The bed was empty, but he could make out that it was slept in. The sobbing could now be heard more clearly and Ranveer made his way towards the noise, swiftly yet careful enough to not bang into anything in the darkness. The moment he reached around the bed, he saw a figure fallen down, face hidden. Alarmed, he quickly switched on the lights and a shriek ensued.

Ranveer rushed towards the bed again to find the figure still intact on the floor. Rushing quickly, he turned the figure over the reveal a half-conscious Ishaani who was half-sobbing and half-muttering things that didn't make any sense to him, until he saw her clutch at something hanging from her neck. Picking her up quickly and lying her down on the bed, he hugged her tightly while she held on to him in her slumber, her grip as strong as death.

He kissed her head and checked her head and arms for any wounds but found none. He could get a strong whiff of alcohol from her and on turning behind, he saw a newly-opened bottle of rich scotch on her coffee table, half empty. Laying her back once again, he finally managed to have a glimpse of what she was holding on to - the same locket he wore with his bullet as its souvenir.

Ranveer looked at Ishaani and quickly left her side while she shrieked even louder now. 5 minutes later, Ranveer returned back with a basin and a glass of soap water. Making Ishaani sit up, he made her drink the soap water and the reaction was instantaneous. Ishaani threw up into the basin and Ranveer gave her another sip before she threw up further. Once Ranveer made sure that she'd thrown up the most of the excessive alcohol, he went and cleared up everything from the bedroom. Another 10 minutes later, he returned back to her with a glass of lemonade which he kept on the now empty coffee table while he helped Ishaani to the washroom so that she could clean up.

Coming out after 10 minutes, Ishaani looked unsure on her feet, taking the support of the wall while Ranveer stared at the wall, his temper rising with every passing second. The moment he saw her, he walked up to her and supported her to the bed. He looked at her angrily and shoved the glass of lemonade in her hand roughly.

"Drink." Ishaani stared at him with blood-shot eyes, the lights blaring her vision.

"Ranveer please shut the lights. It's driving my headache over the edge."

"Sure, _love_." Ishaani stared at him upset while he shut off the lights and switched on the lamp light instead. Ishaani drank the lemonade quickly while staring at Ranveer guiltily. Ranveer gave her a cold look throughout the time while Ishaani sipped on it silently, occasionally hiccoughing. The moment she finished drinking, he snatched the glass away and slammed it on the table before sitting on the bed and pulling her face up to face his.

"Care to explain what the hell _this _is?" When Ishaani remained silent, Ranveer felt even more irked. "Do you have any idea how frightened I got! I thought you had got mugged... or... or..." The though too much for Ranveer to phrase, he instead took to shaking her arms. "Have you gone crazy?!"

"I could not stop _those_ images of you from coming to my mind! They wouldn't just go!"

"So what, just down half a bottle of pure scotch! You can't freaking drink even less than a quarter of bottle without getting drunk! Do you have any clue what could have happened had I not come on time!" When Ishaani stared at him blankly, he shook her even harder. "Do you understand anything I'm speaking to you, woman!" It was as though something flared suddenly within Ishaani. She threw his hands off her shoulders and caught hold of his shirt.

"Oh yeah! I don't understand why the heck you are telling me that! You started with the whole scar nonsense! For the love of God, never, ever mention that night in front of me ever again! Do you get it! Don't ever mention that night or you... you... getting..." Ishaani howled in a deranged manner while she buried her face in Ranveer's chest, trembling and shivering. Anger fading away, he held her tightly and securely, rubbing circles on her back while he now spoke soothingly.

"Ishaani, I'm _sorry_. I really am. I was a jerk to talk about that incident so stupidly and I know I frightened you with my talk about death. I know what you _fear_. But look at me Ishaani." Ishaani turned to stare at him wide-eyed while Ranveer cupped her cheek lovingly. "Nothing's going to go wrong this time. _Nothing_. And nothing is going to do us apart this time, not even _death_. I know these two weeks have been too extraordinary to believe it's true. It's too much to come to terms with. But, I'm here with you now. _Trust me_."

Ishaani stared at him drowsily before she snuggled into his chest, hiccoughing before speaking.

"Don't leave me and go. _Please_."

"I won't. Ever." Ishaani's next sentence was lost to him as she barely spoke above a whisper before she stopped moving. Ranveer gently separated her from himself and saw that she had fallen asleep, tear tracks visible on her face. Making her lie down, he quickly checked her to see if she had a temperature. Sighing, as he could feel that she did have a fever, he quietly opened her bed stand drawer to find for a thermometer.

Taking it out, he measured her temperature. 102. Clicking his tongue in disapproval, he quickly left and side and returned back after 5 minutes, a vessel of cool water in his hand. He kept in on the side table and drowned his handkerchief in it before squeezing it and making a roll of it. He applied it on Ishaani's head while he stared at her troubled expression.

He knew that he had been stupid enough to pull out the experiment on her, knowing that it had barely been two weeks. He had always thought about that night from his point of view, but now that he saw it through her eyes, he felt guilty. He knew that both of them had been so emotionally disturbed during the days after his getting shot, that the physical and mental after-effects were all amiss to them.

He had never truly experienced the actual physical agony of getting shot, given that he had practically become numb after the incident, with only a surging hatred he had at the thought of the photos and its implied meaning, but somehow, he never stopped twice to think about the mental impact of the incident on Ishaani.

He knew now that it was even more of a traumatic memory in her mind, for afterall, she had seen him die and been brought back to life that night. And she had known that in a way, she had been the reason behind why he was shot.

_She had been the reason why he was shot._

Something about the statement that had just crossed his mind clicked in that moment. He stared at Ishaani, his features slowly changing from one of bewilderment to one of realization. In that moment, he had finally learnt the actual reason that led to Ishaani doing what she had to do three years ago. The rest of the jigsaw pieces framed themselves easily, until the whole picture was clear. He had finally gained an insight into her mind, even though it was at a heavy cost.

Re-applying the piece of handkerchief over her head for one last time, he shut off the lamps, so that the room was doused into darkness once again. Removing the cloth after sometime, he took to stroking Ishaani's hair gently before a thought crossed his mind.

It was certainly going to take more time for her to heal than he expected to.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: The Creaminess of a Soupy Afternoon**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani opened her eyes slowly. She felt slightly ill, even though she could not understand why. Her vision was blurred and it took her some time to get adjusted to her bright surroundings. She could see someone's blurry silhouette what she supposed was sitting next to her bed, but she did not have the strength to recoil. When her vision cleared finally, she could see Ranveer sitting on a chair beside her bed, staring at her.

"How are you feeling?" Ishaani looked at him in a daze before replying slowly.

"Horrible." Ranveer shook his head before replying viciously.

"Serves you right."

Ishaani shut her eyes, as her head throbbed. She tried to sit up, but lost her balance, hitting the pillow awkwardly. Ranveer quickly got up and made her sit up, holding her back and massaging it gently. She felt better by the passing minutes and turned to look at him, confused.

"What are you doing _here_?"

"Long story. But that can wait. I'll go get something for you to eat. It doesn't look like you have had anything to eat after yesterday afternoon." Ishaani stared at Ranveer, whose eyes had bags under it and looked like he was had not slept the whole night. His lips looked dry, as though he had not had anything to eat or drink in hours.

"It doesn't look like you yourself have had anything to eat for that matter. Or gotten any sleep for yourself, in that case. You look horrible." Ranveer stared at her sheepishly before shaking his head.

"Fine, I'll make us both some brunch. Happy?"

"_Brunch_? Wait, what time is it?"

"12:30 in the afternoon."

"_What!_ I slept through so much! Oh God! I didn't even inform Martha and she gets so angry when people-"

"Relax! I called Martha in the morning and told her you won't be coming since you're unwell. She has given you a three-day sabbatical leave."

"But how on Earth did I sleep through so much?"

"Well, call it the magic of drinking too much scotch." Ishaani looked at him shocked and stuttered for a few minutes before falling silent under his gaze.

"Don't even say a word. We'll have a very delightful conversation on this once I get the food ready." Ishaani glared at him but kept quiet. Ranveer helped her get up from the bed so that she could freshen up herself. He left the room after helping her back to the bed and returned back after 15 minutes, a tray filled with sandwiches and two bowls of steaming vegetable soup. Ishaani looked at him happily and accepted the plate of sandwiches that he handed to her and took a bite from it hungrily.

Ishaani and Ranveer both had their lunch quickly, their hunger getting the better of them. After 20 minutes lunch, Ranveer took both of their empty plates and bowls and disposed of them in the kitchen and came back while Ishaani sighed contentedly.

"That was one amazing soup. Where did you learn to cook so well?"

"Well, let's just say that I've been spending my low time in productive ways." Ishaani shook her head, disgruntled by his reply.

"From how long have you been sitting here?"

"Since 8 last night. You had a fever, so didn't want to leave you and go anywhere, just in case you needed something."

"You're insane, you know that right?" Ishaani smiled at him while he let a quick smile appear on his face before he turned a stern look towards her.

"I know that. And funnily enough, it reminds me about our conversation." Ishaani's smile faded away, replaced quickly by a frown.

"What are you even doing here in the first place?"

"You weren't picking up the landline and your cellphone was switched off. I grew worried. I came here to check up on you but found the main door open. I rushed in to see whether you were alright, given that I thought you had been mugged or something along those lines. But what do I find? You fallen on the ground, half-unconscious after having had half a bottle of pure scotch, when you can't remain normal after even less than a quarter. Care explaining what was it about?"

Ishaani stared at him embarrassed and confused at the same time.

"I don't remember anything about what happened last night. The last thing I remember was having my third glass of scotch. After that, my memory is a blank until today afternoon when I woke up."

"Ofcourse." Ishaani looked at him guiltily before cupping his cheek, her tone pleading.

"I'm sorry Ranveer. I know I was so stupid. You told me to trust you and-"

"Ishaani, you know what's the worst thing? I do understand what happened yesterday. And funnily enough, I do really understand why you took the blame on your head three years ago. I understand it." Ishaani looked into his eyes deeply, as though hoping his eyes would betray what he just said. But she could see that he clearly meant what he spoke.

Nodding at him feverishly, she caught hold of his hand now.

"I've never come to terms with what happened that night. If you could never come to terms with it for one reason, I have never come to terms with it for another."

Ranveer looked at her and kissed her hand. Ishaani shut her eyes at the touch of his lips and smiled softly.

"I know. And I was pretty stupid enough to bring up the one thing that you have been trying to fight against for so long." Ishaani nodded her head and looked at Ranveer curiously.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How did you live these three years, knowing that I'm dead?" Ranveer caught on the meaning of what Ishaani was trying to say and smiled.

"Somewhere deep down, I never believed that you were no more. I always believed in this and I will continue believing in this that the day you indeed die, my heart will stop beating then and there. My heart has always been with you and it will always be with you. My life started when I saw you first and it will end when I'm seeing you for the last time. It's as simple as that."

"But that anxiety attack? You kept saying that I'm dead."

"I don't know why I kept saying it, if you ask me honestly. That night is still a blur with me." Ishaani did not look entirely convinced and Ranveer laughed slowly.

"You know what the problem here is, Ishaani? You haven't been able to come to terms with the events that happened with us in those few months of our lives before we separated three years ago. There were far too many things to come to terms with. That's why you cannot move on from it. I came to terms with it two years ago, when I broke down in front of Martin that night. Oh yes-" Ranveer smiled when he saw Ishaani's guilty expression, "-I know that you know about it. I'm sure Martin must have thought it his duty to tell you about it, because he has been far too concerned about my aloofness. He thinks that I don't know about how worried he remains about it, but I do. I only chose to do nothing about it."

"He was kind of afraid that you might get angry with him if you knew that he had told me about that night." Ranveer gave an affectionate look.

"That's Martin for you. But coming back to my point, Martin was there for me like a friend and brother, where I confided every single fear and assumption I had, every single shred of pain and hopelessness. And he just comforted me the whole night, without expecting anything in return. Martin never knows it, but I've confided a huge part of myself and my existence in him. He saved my life that night. And since then, I learnt to accept what happened with us and I decided to survive on what my heart believed - that you did indeed love me and you were alive somewhere."

"But that night-"

"I'm getting to that. I did not get the anxiety attack because I saw you alive. I got the attack because of what was to come next." When Ishaani cocked up her eyebrow, Ranveer sighed and continued. "Don't you see? I was afraid. In these three years, I had survived on a hope that could have very well been false, a hope that could have been snatched away from me at any moment. It was a pathetic way of survival, but I clung on to it nonetheless. That night when I saw you, I was afraid, much more afraid that what you were. I was afraid that you would push me away again and I knew it that I would not have been able to take it this time. The only thing I have ever been afraid of was you abandoning me. I was a coward that night, afraid to face you like I should have, rather than try and fight battles in my mind."

Ranveer stopped speaking and looked at Ishaani, a strange frightened guilt in it while he stared at her beseechingly, his eyes begging hers to understand. Ishaani in turn, smiled at him and ruffled his hair slightly while she understood what his reaction had come from. She realized that in a way, both of them had been living in denial for far too long and facing the facts became difficult for them to accept when they needed it most. She looked at him and absent-mindedly whispered.

"And I was afraid that you would never accept me back." Ranveer's expression relaxed back as he saw understanding and compassion in her eyes for him and he smiled a little.

"Funny, how we feared the same thing, yet we never dared to voice it out." Taking a sigh, he continued. "Anyways, we had our conversation the next day. It gave me a new hope. I was ready to shed behind our past and start over a new leaf with you. Somehow, I realized that you were reluctant, though I did not know why and I couldn't understand the reason behind it either. That was, until yesterday, when you clung on to me, holding that bullet in your hand, as though trying to protect me from it."

Ishaani looked at him surprised, her lips apart, as though flustered at being caught in some guilty secret. She below to the chain hanging from her neck while the bullet gleamed dully in the light of the room. She unclasped the hook of the chain and caught it in her hand, shutting her eyes. Finally opening her eyes after an infinitesimal amount of time during which Ranveer gripped her other hand stronger, Ishaani looked at him and took her hand out of his grip. She got up and brought a box that was lying idly on her dressing table and sat back on the bed once again. Tossing the chain into the box without even glancing at it once, she looked at Ranveer, who was looking at her quizzically and handed over the box to him.

"I'm ready to let go." Ranveer smiled at her slowly and accepted the box while he observed Ishaani's expression. Her face had a newfound glow about it. Her eyes were still slightly hesitant, but there was also a determination along with it to accept the past.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I have to let go of it sometime. So why not today? Besides, I don't want to let you out of my sight ever again." Ranveer smiled at her and threw his arms out while Ishaani hugged him, the same feeling of being complete and at home enveloping her.

"Will you promise me something?" Ishaani hummed slowly, not letting go of her grip on him. "Never give me such a fright ever again. You really scared me yesterday." Ishaani looked up at him before replying soulfully.

"I promise."

* * *

Ranveer left her place at 6, after Ishaani called Martin and asked him to take him home, for Ranveer had put up a tantrum of leaving her alone, even though she was perfectly alright. Martin came along, a dazzling smile on his face, with a strange glow that was much different than the one he usually had.

"How are you now, _madame_?"

"I'm perfectly alright, Mr. Martin. But what is up with you? You look really happy." Ranveer noticed Martin's happy expression and look at him curiously.

"Yeah Martin, what's up?" Martin puffed his chest as his excitement could not be restrained anymore.

"Before coming up here, Claudine just told me." Taking a deep breath, he exploded. "We are expecting a baby,_ monsieur_!"

"What!" Ranveer and Ishaani were stunned for a minute before Ishaani went and hugged Martin.

"Congratulations Martin! I'm so happy for you and Claudine!" Ishaani separated from the hug and Ranveer thumped Martin on the back fondly.

"I knew there was something wrong with Claudine when she unnecessarily confined me to that three day bed rest."

"Ranveer!" Ishaani nudged him sharply and Martin chuckled happily. Ranveer looked at Martin and gave him a bear hug.

"Congratulations mate. I'm so happy! This certainly calls for a toast." Ranveer ran into the kitchen and came out 5 minutes later with two glasses of scotch and one glass of fruit juice. Handing Ishaani over the fruit juice, he and Martin took their respective glasses of scotch. Ishaani stared at her glass confused before turning towards Ranveer childishly.

"Hey! Where's my glass of scotch?"

"Wasn't yesterday enough?" Ishaani glared at him and grudgingly accepted the fruit juice while Ranveer raised his glass in a toast.

"To Martin Jr.!" Ishaani and Martin smiled before repeating after him.

"To Martin Jr.!"

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: The Promise Rings**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The winds blew steadily while leaves dancing merrily over the trees, the sun shining brightly while the fragrance of the flowers lingered powerfully in the air. Ishaani and Ranveer were sitting under the bark of a birch tree that cast lovely, cool shades over their head. The month of September had just begun and with it came the cool breezes. The leaves had not yet begun falling off, but had now the combined colors of red, orange, yellow and green, that gave a very artistic beauty to nature in Vari.

Ranveer had his head in Ishaani's lap while reading a copy of _The Moving Toyshop_ while Ishaani gently stroked his head and read a copy of _Pride and Prejudice _alongside. The two months of their new found relationship had flown by swiftly yet beautifully, every day being anew learning step into each other's hearts and minds while they opened up more with every day, sharing experiences of their lives in those three years along with their secrets and fears, their lessons and mottos being confided alongside.

Their relationship so far had been platonic, friendship springing back into the same one they shared as kids, only much more mature in the general sense. They would still joke around and pull out all kinds of pranks and sarcastic remarks at each other, but the two of them could not deny that their friendship how had an extra element of maturity, that two people only gained after seeing life unfold on the whole.

On the other hand, there were several days where they would just sit silently over their cup of coffee, just enjoying each other's silence and presence. Those days were always the most emotionally challenging, for either one of them would entrust another guilty secret to another and the other would have to be there to understand and hold the other one from the fall.

Their lives in those three years were now open books in front of each other, books that were getting lighter with every lessening secret, until they had barely anything concealed from each other. The would meet each other every day after work, either to have a cup of coffee, or to grab a bite, or simply to take a stroll around the various streets.

Today, they were sitting in the park, where the grasses glowed richly and has a freshly mown smell about it. Several people walked leisurely around, the weather at its supreme best while several families were under different trees, taking in the cool shades provided by the majestic oaks, cypresses and poplars that cast high shadows around. At the foot of them grew several bushes with roses, daisies, orchids and lilies while at some distance apart, peach, lemon, apple and almond trees grew prosperously.

Ranveer smiled peacefully as Ishaani's stroking of his hair had a mesmerizing effect on his, obliterating the world around him except for the glowing nature and Ishaani's presence. Looking up towards her, he smiled at her serenely, shutting his book close and took to stare at her, her eyes taking his fancy. She looked up from her book and smiled at him while tracing her fingers lovingly over his forehead.

"This feels so good. It just feels exactly like the days when we were so carefree and free of the burdens of the world."

"Yeah, it kind of does. Ofcourse, the two of us have a lot of pros about our friendship than we had back then."

"That's true. Plus, we get to wear all sorts of clothes now, rather than heavy suits and traditional wears." Ishaani chuckled at him while she planted a kiss over his forehead.

"You know, I know I have never mentioned this to you in these two months, but you looked gorgeous in that green gown you had worn to that party." Ishaani blushed and looked at him entranced, the reference of Martha's party bringing a smile to her face.

"You didn't look half bad yourself in that black suit yourself. That color enhances your features so much." Ranveer gazed at her intently for a few moments while she shook his head at her amused.

In those three years, both of them had changed their dressing patterns to the extreme, with Ishaani always wearing loose shirt-tops and knee-length skirts while Ranveer wore light-colored shirts and jeans or else three-fourth pants. Ranveer noticed that Ishaani would, however, wear long pantaloons and a tucked in shirt to the library with stilettos, that made her look much more longer and beautiful while he stuck on to his traditional three-piece suit during his business hours. Today, Ishaani wore a loose yellow top and a black shirt while Ranveer wore a light green shirt and cream three-fourths.

As Ishaani shut her eyes, momentarily enjoying the nature around her, Ranveer got back to reading his book once again while Ishaani caressed his forehead now, shutting her book.

"Oh c'mon Ranveer, do close the book now!" Ranveer looked at her dejectedly before shutting the copy of his book and propping himself up on his elbows, to stare at her properly now.

"Done." Ishaani smiled at him and shook her head before they saw an ice-cream van pass by in the distance. "Ice-cream!" Ishaani gave Ranveer puppy-eyes and he shook his head, amused by her tactics.

"Which one do you want?"

"Surprise me!" Ishaani smiled at him radiantly while he smiled back.

"Alright."

Ranveer got up lazily and stretched his arms before making a run towards the ice-cream van while Ishaani swiftly opened her book and started reading again. Ranveer returned back after 15 minutes, when he saw Ishaani engrossed in her book, unaware of his presence.

"That's not fair! You made me shut my book. No ice-cream for you!"

"Fine." Ishaani muttered feverishly, her eyes not leaving from the book.

"Alright, I'll just give it away then." Ranveer turned and began to walk when Ishaani swiftly shut the book and stared at him beginning to walk.

"Come back! I was just kidding!" Ranveer turned to look at her, a smirk over his face while Ishaani looked apologetically. Laughing, as Ishaani now scowled at him, he came back and sat down once again while he laid out 10 packets of popsicles in front of her. Ishaani stare wide-eyed at him before a huge smile cracked up on her face.

"Oh my! Chocolate, Vanilla, Mango, Strawberry, Blueberry, Butterscotch, Raspberry, Orange, Pistachio and Lemon! Thanks" Ishaani read the labels happily while Ranveer laughed at her antics.

"Hold on, hold on! I'll be having some from these as well."

"Alright. Take what you want." Ranveer and Ishaani started snatching away the flavors they could get their hands on, until they hand five each. Ripping open the packet of Blueberry, Ishaani finally tasted it and nodded in satisfaction.

"Yum!" Ranveer was busy unwrapping his packet of lemon Popsicle, when he looked up at Ishaani and smirked.

"It's my choice. What do you expect?" Ishaani rolled his eyes at him.

"Oh yeah right."

"Well, don't forget that you were my choice too." Ishaani simply stuck her tongue out at him and smacked him on his shoulder playfully while Ranveer laughed at her.

"Oh alright, alright. Enjoy your ice-cream." Ranveer shook his head at her and turned his full attention towards the lemon Popsicle in his hand.

After an hour and half, Ranveer and Ishaani sat next to each other once again, Ishaani leaning against Ranveer's shoulder, her left hand on his chest. Ranveer saw the dove ring sparkle on her finger and smiled.

"You really love this ring, don't you?"

"Yeah. This ring is a part of myself now. I don't know what would life had been had this ring not been there." Ishaani looked at Ranveer and saw a ring gleaming over on his finger in the sunlight. "I see that you still wear your engagement ring as well."

"Yeah. It has been with me for far too long to part with it." Sitting up straighter, he caught Ishaani's hands in his own while both of them sat crossed-legged, so that they were now sitting exactly opposite each other. Ranveer sated at her curiously while Ishaani stared at him, a strange fire dancing in her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" Ishaani stared at him intently before speaking again.

"Yes." Ranveer smiled and spoke gently.

"Remove the ring." Ishaani did as she was told, without uttering a single word. Her eyes did have a slight hesitancy, but she did it nonetheless. Ranveer continued smiling at her.

"Give it to me." She handed the ring over to him, bewildered, but with a confidence at the same time. Ranveer smiled at her and closed his fist around the ring. Keeping it safely in his shirt pocket, he took off the ring from his finger and gave it to her.

"By giving each other our rings, we are trusting part of ourselves with each other. Keep it safe." Ishaani smiled at him and accepted the ring while she held it carefully in her palm, as though holding the world's most prized possession.

"I promise."

"We'll only be returning these rings back to each other the day we get remarried."

"Remarried?"

"Yes. Didn't I tell you that we are going to live every phase of our relationship in the order it is supposed to go?" Ishaani stroked his cheek lovingly while Ranveer kissed her hand.

"We've established what we wanted to. Trust. Now, we need to establish the second base of our relationship. _Friendship_."

"But weren't we doing that since the past two months?"

"Yes. But when I say friendship, I mean making it always the prime relationship we share, even before being married or in love. And for that, I have just the perfect thing."

Quickly removing a small box from his pocket, he opened it and removed a ring from the box, a silver ring with two hearts, one a silver and another with gold with a diamond in between both the heart. A double band ran from the hearts on either side, diamonds along the width of the bands in a diagonal order. A thin phrase was engraved on the inside of the ring. Ishaani looked momentarily mesmerized before she took the ring and read the engraved phrase.

_Life made us friends._

Ishaani looked up at him, her eyes teary and gave him a hug while he hugged her back a content sigh escaping his lips. After breaking their hug, Ishaani looked at Ranveer, a guilty look on her face.

"I've got something for you as well, but I don't know whether you will like it or no."

"As long as you are giving it to me with all your love, there is nothing more precious for me than it." Ishaani nodded nervously and removed a small box from her handbag and handed it over to him. Opening the box, Ranveer's breath got hitched. In the box was a black titanium ring, with an infinity on the forefront. Ranveer stuttered for a few moments before looking at her, his gaze lowered.

"Wasn't this the same titanium ring that _Mota Babuji_ had given you to give this to the person on the day you find your true love, companion and friend?"

"It's the same one."

"How did you even think that I would not like it?"

Ishaani stared at him sheepishly while Ranveer looked at the ring dazed, the combined effect of it being amongst one of his _Mota Babuji's_ most prized possession and Ishaani entrusting him with it. Minutes later, when both of them finally managed to snap out from their reveries, Ranveer took Ishaani's hand and slipped the ring over her ring finger.

"I promise to be your friend and stand by you in every thick and thin and face them with you together. Always." Ishaani bit her lip as she smiled at him teary-eyed, the memory of this day steadily being etched into her mind as amongst the most beautiful day of her life. She looked at him intensely before slipping the black titanium band over his ring finger and looked at him lovingly.

"I promise to stand by you no matter what and never leave your side. I trust you with my heart and I know that you'll take much better care of it than me myself."

Ranveer smiled at her and whispered a soft "I will." Ishaani and Ranveer hugged each other once again, as the leaves and blossoms from the trees fell lazily around them in the wind and both of them smiled at each other, as they could finally see a future where they had each other and above that, each other's trust.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Landlord Troubles**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer strolled around the park hand in hand, admiring their rings every few minutes, touching it so that they could assure themselves that it was real and not just a dream. After a few minutes, Ishaani spoke.

"Technically speaking, are we still 'good friends' or are we courting each other right now?"

"Hmmm. Interesting question. Well, what do you think?"

"Aren't promise rings usually exchanged once you enter the courtship phase?"

"Not necessarily. I was under the impression that one enters their courtship phase once they propose."

"Ah well, you've got a point. Good friends it is, then."

"Good friends it is." Ranveer and Ishaani stopped at the gate and hugged each other before parting ways for their respective homes.

* * *

Ranveer had been pacing about his cabin, a frown creased over his face while a piece of paper was stretched out between his fingers. He had read the note for the umpteenth time that day, a worry bubbling within him. The note had a simple instruction written on it.

_Meet me at 4 at the café near your office. I'll tell you everything._

_Ishaani._

Ranveer paced about impatiently, waiting for 4 to strike on the clock. He knew that something was bothering Ishaani from the past three days but she had simply told him that she would tell him soon enough. He trusted her blindly, hoping that she would eventually tell him what the matter was. But now that the time had come, he actually felt worried. It had been two weeks since their declaration at the park and things had been smooth between them, until three days ago when Ishaani started looking worried.

Before he could think about anything, his assistant stuck her head through the door of the cabin.

"Sir, it's time for the meeting." Ranveer nodded at her blankly.

"Go on. I'll be right there."

His assistant nodded and left the cabin while Ranveer tucked away the note swiftly within his coat pocket. He took a sigh, only praying that things with Ishaani were alright and that he could help in making her worries go away.

* * *

The meeting lasted for 3 hours, ending at 3:30. Ranveer heaved a sigh as he looked at his watch, happy that he wasn't going to be late for his rendez-vous. Giving his assistant several notes to take down and appointment schedules arranged, he quickly descended from the building and walked towards the cafe, his stomach growling in hunger.

Reaching the café, he swung the door open, the smell of rich coffee and snack filling his nostrils while Ranveer felt his eyes shut drowsily. Walking inside, he turned his head around to find for an empty table, when his eyes fell over Ishaani. She was absent-mindedly swirling her coffee, lost in thought. Ranveer couldn't help but notice how radiant she looked that afternoon and a sweet smile crossed his lips. He may have been a teenager today, happily admiring his crush love from far away, and content at what he had with him.

Crossing the path, he took a seat opposite her. Ishaani snapped from her thoughts and looked at him surprised, her features getting steadily relaxed. Ishaani smiled at him now while twiddling the ring on her finger.

"I've ordered the two of us some food. I'm sure you haven't eaten anything either now, have you?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders simply while he took her hand in his.

"You wanted to tell me something?"

"Yeah." Taking a deep breath, she simply stated. "I lost my house three days back."

"_What?" _Ranveer looked at her aghast while Ishaani continued.

"My landlady returned back from the Bahamas three days ago. She said that she needed the house back, for she was going to be shifting in with her whole family."

"Just like that? What about your contract? I'm sure you can't simply barge in one fine day and throw someone out from their house."

"My contract got over three days ago. You see, she gave me one week's time to empty the house of my belongings since the grace period ends on Saturday. I've been staying over there for the past three days but I've been busy searching for apartments in a suitable locality. But either the rents are too high or the apartments are not suitable, or else the localities are too far off." Ranveer looked at her angrily now.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Ishaani looked at him nervously, her voice tired.

"I wanted to give it a shot before telling you." Ranveer shook his head slowly while he stared at her intently.

"Did you try convincing your landlady?"

"Yes, but it didn't work out."

"Have you tried contacting any agents or anything?"

"I have, but they don't have anything good enough for me." Ranveer drew up at a blank.

"Now what are you going to do?" Ishaani put her head in her palms, staring at her coffee solemnly.

"I don't know. I just... don't know." Ranveer could see her distress before he spoke gently.

"Alright. Let me come and meet your landlady. Let's see how that goes." Ishaani let go of her palms from her head and looked uneasy.

"But she is adamant on having the house. I've tried everything with her. She is way too rude and stubborn." Ishaani looked at him forlorn while he strengthened the grip on her hand once again.

"Let me give it a try. Please." Ranveer looked at her decisively and she sighed.

"Alright fine. I won't stop you. Mrs. Kennedy will be home right now. We can finish our lunch and head for my place immediately, if you are free right now."

"Don't worry, I've finished all my meetings for the day."

Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other in silent understanding and smiled, as their order finally appeared on their table.

* * *

It was 5:30. Ishaani unlocked the door and entered the house with Ranveer, who let out a small whistle at the sight of the house. The house from three weeks ago had changed drastically, its neatness and dapper replaced with a haggard stuffiness. The original mistress of the house was sitting on an armchair while a ball of wool sat on her lap, along with several other sewing instruments.

The moment she turned around, Ranveer recoiled slightly at her sight. She had the look of an angry chicken, tucked up around her eggs protectively while she stared at them with suspicious, green eyes. Ranveer tried to put up a smile, but somehow his muscles felt tied up and strained, so that his smile ended up turning into a grimace.

"Who is this with ya, girl?" Ranveer noticed that she had a slang European accent, but from exactly which region it belonged to remained a mystery to him. He assumed that Mrs. Kennedy was a well-travelled woman, the reason for multiple slangs accompanied with every different word.

"This is Mr. Ranveer Vaghela."

Mrs. Kennedy stared at Ranveer shrewdly before signaling them to take a couch. Once the two of them sat upon it, Mrs. Kennedy kept aside her sewing material and turned her full attention over to the two of them.

"I've heard all about ya. You're the diamond merchant now, aren't ya?"

"Yes. The same one."

Ranveer felt embarrassed at the steady scrutiny of Mrs. Kennedy's gaze. Ishaani fidgeted with her skirt before Mrs. Kennedy spoke again.

"Delighted to make yer acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine." Even though Ranveer felt no pleasure in meeting her, the phrase slipped unconsciously from his lips, habit from sharing pleasantries with countless clients during meetings.

Mrs. Kennedy looked at the two of them keenly before asking politely.

"Drinks, Mr. Vaghela?"

"Uh, no thanks. I'm good."

Ranveer stared at Ishaani, understanding falling over him as to why she was reluctant to introduce him to Mrs. Kennedy. She smiled at him in a twisted manner before cocking her eyebrows up in malicious delight.

"But whatever on Earth are you doing in my house? Surely, Ishaani can't have brought ya here sight-seeing now, can she?"

"Oh no, I can certainly assure you that I haven't come what you termed as 'sight-seeing'." Ranveer didn't bother to hide his sarcasm and Mrs. Kennedy smacked her lips appreciatively.

"Certainly." Her tone suddenly changed into one of authority, her eyes turning sharply at him.

"What is it then?"

"I'm here to talk about certain... arrangements that have taken place between the two of you."

"And how may that concern ya, young man, if ya don't mind me asking? I don't really see why such a busy and important man such as yerself would trouble yerself in matters as petty as this."

"Well, let's just say that Ishaani's well-being matters much more to me than anything else. And I'd prefer if we get straight to the point rather than circle about in chit-chats. As you said it yourself, I am a very busy man." Ranveer did not bother to find the disdain in his voice and Mrs. Kennedy glared at him, abashed at being cut about so rudely. She spoke again, this time her voice cold.

"Alright. If that is what ya want. My answer is no. And, let me make it clear that if ya have come here to buy me out, ya might as well leave right now. I'm not interested in making any deals with ya." Ranveer smirked at her.

"Ofcourse. Not fond of being dominated in your own house by someone else now, are you?"

"Mind yer tongue, sir."

"I'm not interested with your banters. I've come here with a sole proposition and I'll make it to you. Accepting it is up to you. From what I've observed about you and this house from the last 30 minutes, I've come to conclude that you come from a lot of money and this certainly can't be the only house you own. I've come to learn that you have been living in the Bahamas for the last 15 years on and off and surviving in that part of the world needs a good penny. And if you could charge such low rents for such a house, I'm sure money has never been a criteria with you."

"What are you getting it?"

"Simply this. Given the rising prices of rents and houses around here, you want this house for an investment purpose. Your returning from the Bahamas with your family is an excuse. We all know about the recent depression that hit the Bahamas and all businesses there are in huge crisis all thanks to the economic supply from the city being cut down. Judging from the artifacts that you have around, you belonged to one of those businesses that have recently been shut down. And I certainly remember reading about a particular Kennedy and Lawson Co. Ltd. going bankrupt. So yes, this certainly becomes about the money now."

Mrs. Kennedy stared at him wide-eyed, astounded by the knowledge he had about her financial crisis while Ishaani simply stared at him agape. Ranveer looked at Mrs. Kennedy firmly before continuing.

"So, I have a proposition for you. I'm ready to pay you 300,000 Euros in cash or cheque, whichever you prefer, to turn the ownership into Ishaani's name. You have several more estates that you can use up at mortgage or investment or for living, three of which are in Athens itself. I'll have the copy of the ownership papers within another two hours prepared by my lawyer and the money will be ready as well. You have exactly 5 minutes for the offer or else, it becomes void. It's your call."

* * *

15 minutes later, Ranveer and Ishaani were both in car, driving away towards the library. Mrs. Kennedy had refused the offer and remained intact over the fact that Ishaani should leave the house by Saturday.

"Well, it was worth a try." Ishaani patted Ranveer's hand while he smiled at her.

"I knew she wouldn't say yes. I'd offended her ego the moment I refused to answer about the two of us."

"But I don't understand. If she is in so much crisis, why wouldn't she accept the offer? It's insane."

"Ah well, it certainly is. I was ready to offer her double the price of what the highest bidder would have offered her for the apartment, yet she refused. Women are strange creatures really." When Ishaani glared at him, he looked at her innocently. "What? You know it's true."

"Uh, but at the end of it, I'm still homeless for now. But seriously Ranveer, if you would have indeed paid her the 300,000 Euros, how would I have ever repaid you?" Ranveer frowned his brows at her before he groaned at her irritably.

"Well, for your information, just because I didn't blabber in front of Mrs. Kennedy, it does not mean that the facts change. _You are my wife_. We are changing the dynamics of our very complicated and delicate relationship by re-doing all the steps in it, but the ultimate fact remains the same. Never forget that. So don't even think about re-paying me."

"Alright, alright! I didn't mean to offend you. But it's good that you didn't say anything about us. That Mrs. Kennedy is an evil cow as it is."

"Tell me about it. But how did you get this house anyway."

"You remember Shikhar? Well, when I came down here, he had given me the address of his cousin sister. She used to live two blocks from this place and used to work with Mrs. Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy was leaving for the Bahamas in two months' time and she told me to try speaking to her about having the house on rent. Mrs. Kennedy rented it out to me on a more than reasonable price, stating that she didn't require the money. I was always under the impression that she was a kind-hearted lady until she showed her true colors three days ago."

"That's always been your problem. You always rush to see the goodness of others without waiting to see how they truly are." Ishaani shrugged her shoulders at him nonchalantly while shook his head at her.

"What are we going to do now?"

"I'll call my contacts up and see if I can find you an ideal apartment or house. Now all we can do is wait."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: A New Way Back Home**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani sat on her desk, a sullen look on her face. Martha stared at her helplessly while Ranveer leaned against one of the bookcases.

"This is not working out. This simply isn't." Ranveer looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Ishaani. I've tried everywhere, but whatever houses they have are pretty high on the rents. It's the rent crisis in Greece. I really am sorry. I would have willingly bought that flat up in Naxou had you not intervened."

"I told you Ranveer, as much as I appreciate you wanting to buy me the house, this isn't right. It's taken me time to come to terms with our relationship and now that I'm on par with it, I don't want anything happening that deters it."

"But Ishaani, tomorrow is the last day. Then what? Where are you going to stay?" Ishaani shook her head in a deranged manner and threw her hands in the air.

"Don't you think that I know that? Oh God, this is all a mess!" Ishaani threw her head over her arms and buried it while Ranveer looked at Martha dejectedly. At that moment, Martha looked up at the two of them, her eyes alight.

"Ishaani, why don't you stay over at Ranveer's place?" Ishaani looked up at Martha, an incredulous look in her face.

_"What?"_

"You heard me. The two of you are technically married, so it isn't that you are doing anything wrong." Ishaani groaned and spoke swiftly, as though everything was beyond her understanding.

"Martha, this is insane. This would be as good as Ranveer buying me a house. This is crazy, right Ranveer? Ranveer?" Ishaani snapped her fingers at Ranveer, who had not uttered at single word for the past few minutes.

"Ranveer, are you even listening to me?" Ranveer walked up to her and looked at her steadily.

"Yeah. And I think Martha is right. You should stay over at my place."

"Ranveer, no. I couldn't. I _wouldn't_." Ranveer gave her a frustrated look and turned towards Martha for help.

"You don't have a choice, honey."

"Martha, please. I could stay over at a... a hotel or something."

"The rents are twice as expensive at a hotel on a daily basis." Ishaani looked at the two of them angrily.

"There has got to be something!" Ranveer sat down and looked at Ishaani hopelessly.

"Ishaani, please. Think logically. My house it technically yours as well. And besides, it's a 25-room mansion! Stay wherever you like! It's completely your wish! But please, stop getting so stubborn over it."

"But Ranveer-"

"Ugh alright! Just stay with me for the time being alright? Till you get a suitable apartment. Now you can do that much atleast, can't you?" Ishaani looked torn halfway between arguing back and giving up.

"Fine. I want to go _home_. Please, take me home." Ranveer sat on his knees and cupped her cheek. He looked at her lovingly before speaking.

"Ishaani, will you listen to me?" She nodded at him, tears escaping her eyes unwarranted. He wiped away her tears and pulled her in for a hug while she sobbed in his arms.

"Hey. Shhh. It's alright. It's alright. I'm here for you. I'm here. Come home, Ishaani. It's been far too long that you've strayed away. It's been three and a half years since you last stepped home truly in essence. Please, come home, Ishaani. Come home."

Ishaani looked at him, her eyes flowing steadily while her lips quivered.

"Why do things never go right for me, Ranveer? Whenever I try to make a new start, I'm always thwarted back by life. Don't I have any right to being happy? Don't I deserve another chance at setting things straight? Why, Ranveer, why?"

"Why do you think this way? Why don't you think that life isn't giving you a second chance? This is precisely the second chance we wanted, Ishaani. Remember, our friendship bloomed its best when we lived under the same roof. Besides, this is for our best. Remember, Ishaani, whatever happens, happens for the best. The best wasn't written for us three years back, it's written for us now. Stop looking behind. Just hold my hand and walk with me. You said you trust me. That's all we need. Trust me and I promise that nothing will go wrong. Not this time."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I cannot predict life, but I can hope. Hope for us. Hope for the best. Just because we were denied happiness all our lives doesn't mean that we are never going to get it."

"You must be sick of me. I keep pulling up the same wound every now and then. Every time you remain positive and hopeful, I tear you apart with my stupidity and cowardice."

"Don't you dare call yourself a coward! I don't blame you. This will happen to every person who has seen life as harsh as yours. Even I live with the fear of things not working out each day, Ishaani, but my hope for our future and my faith on our love is much stronger than my fear of failure. That's why I'm sure about us. I've conquered my fear every single time. It's about time you conquered yours."

"Take me home, Ranveer. I can't bear to live under the same roof with that cow any longer."

* * *

Ranveer drove towards the main gates of the mansion, Ishaani's luggage in the car. Ishaani was on the passenger's seat, staring idly out from the window, a surly look on. She had regained her composure and her hysteria from the morning had faded away, only to be replaced by a brooding silence. Ishaani wasn't happy with their current situation, but she had decided to go with the flow on this one, unable to come up with any better alternative than Ranveer or Martha.

Ranveer and Ishaani entered the house while the helpers brought in her luggage. Martin and Claudine came to greet them and Ishaani and Claudine hugged each other before the latter's pregnancy became the matter of discussion. Martin smiled benignly at Ishaani and instructed the helpers about the luggage and took off Ranveer's overcoat. In those two months, Ishaani had noticed the change in Martin's behavior, a glow on his face such like never before.

Martin cleared his throat and asked Ishaani softly.

"_Madame_, which room would you want me to keep your luggage in?"

"I don't know Martin, this house is huge." Pondering over it for some time, Ishaani made up her mind. "Uh, why don't you do one thing? I'll stay in the same room that I stayed in last time I was here. That room was pretty comfortable."

"As you wish, _madame_." Martin issued another set of instructions to the helpers and they immediately followed suit. Ranveer and Ishaani silently sat on the sofa while Claudine made herself comfortable on the armchair. Her bump could been seen slightly now that her first trimester was almost drawing to an end.

"That bump's getting pretty big, Claud."

"Oh do be quiet Ranveer. Don't piss me off." Claudine glared at Ranveer while the latter smirked.

"How is your morning sickness, Claudine? I've heard that they are at their worst during the first trimester. "

"Yeah, they are pretty terrible. Plus the back aches and all the sudden emotions." Ishaani looked at her apologetically while Ranveer seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Yeah, she has been a real nightmare in these two months. Martin should be given a medal for putting up with all the tantrums." Ishaani and Claudine both cocked their eyebrows at him and he recoiled under their gazes. Ranveer looked abashed and turned his attention towards Claudine while speaking.

"Alright fine, _fine_. And stop giving me that look. I know what you're going to say." Claudine looked at him curiously, even though she looked positively mischievous.

"And what was that?" Ranveer spoke blindly without thinking twice.

"That I'll also have to support Ishaani the same way when she gets pregnant." A sticky silence ensued during which Ranveer and Ishaani blushed and avoided looking at each other and Claudine laughed and smirked simultaneously.

_"C'est la vie, mon ami!" _Ranveer rolled his eyes at her while Ishaani looked at Claudine embarrassed.

"Oh whatever." However, Martin approached them, interrupting the moment, which came as a saving grace for both Ranveer and Ishaani.

"_Madame_, your room has been done up. And today I have a French onion soup, a kidney-bean pie roast dish, a _choucroute_ and a vinaigrette salad along with a strawberry tart and lemon mousse. Is that alright, _madame_?" Ishaani smiled at him gratefully.

"Perfectly alright, Mr. Martin."

"Please call me Martin, _madame_."

"Alright, Martin. And yeah, you are part of the family. The mister only sounds formal." Martin smiled and looked at Claudine.

"Is the menu fine by you, _ma cherie_?"

"Perfectly,_ mon amour_. Besides, don't pamper me so much. You will only end up spoiling me."

"You're going to give me the world's most prized treasure. A bit of pampering and love won't hurt." Claudine beckoned Martin closer and kissed him slowly while Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at the two of them, their fingers interlocking unconsciously.

"Ahem. Get a room, folks. On second thought, I'll take Ishaani up to her room." Quickly getting up, Ranveer pulled Ishaani up and led her up the staircase, their fingers still interlocked. Reached the floor landing, they walked towards Ishaani's room and entered it, a warm, orange glow soothing along with the dim lamps lit on the bedside.

"I'll be right back after some time."

Ranveer left and Ishaani slowly sat down on the bed, taking in the realities of their life. Now that her hysteria and worries had somehow faded off, she didn't think that it was such a bad idea to be living under the same roof with Ranveer once again, though she did have certain apprehensions in regards to their current status of relationship.

She quietly got up and unloaded her suitcase, clothes soon finding their way into the cupboard with order and method, and before 15 minutes, her clothes were all perfectly arranged. She unlocked her other suitcase that had several pieces of accessories, jewelry and possessions that found their way around the room in their respective positions.

When Ranveer returned back half an hour later, he was surprised to see the elementary transformation of the room, the main change being that it looked homely. Ranveer had a box in his hand, the same box, Ishaani noticed, that she had given Ranveer. He came and sat next to her once again before handing over the box to her.

"What do you want me to do with this?" Ishaani simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Keep it with you. It's yours now, anyway."

"But funnily enough, except for the bullet chain, I have no clue what's in the box and it's pretty heavy."

"The mistakes of the past are always heavy and going to weight you down."

"But I don't understand. Why give me the box? Besides, it doesn't even open without the key."

"I've entrusted you with a locked past. The day I am ready to take the next step, I'll hand you the key to this box."

Ranveer smiled at her and kept the box aside while he simply pulled her into his arms. She nestled her head over his chest and took a deep sigh.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah."

"You are on terms with everything, right?"

"Yeah. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but it doesn't seem like such a bad idea afterall."

"Yeah. These three months have been quite a rollercoaster ride for us now, hasn't it?"

"Sometimes, I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking that it's all a dream and maybe none of this ever happened but then I see the ring on my finger and know that it's all true."

"Yeah, the changes can get pretty overwhelming. It's a surprise how we never happened to meet each other or even know about each other's whereabouts in these three years." Ishaani looked at him guiltily.

"You can't exactly say so. There were articles about you in the papers quite often, carrying out deals in several different countries, but somehow, I could never track you down. So, I decided that praying for your good health and success was the best I could do." Ranveer nodded his head while they simply sat like that for several minutes, enjoying each other's company.

"I didn't know that you eat non-vegetarian food as well." Ishaani broke from their hug and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah. I don't eat it often, but it does make for a good change."

"But I thought that you were strongly against having non-vegetarian food."

"Yeah, I was. But in these three years, I came to realize that when we inflict so much harm upon other human beings without worrying about morals or values, I don't think the type of food we eat is going to make pretty much any difference at all."

"That's true. Funnily enough, I have the same view on the topic." Ishaani looked at him and smiled.

"Changes are good." Ranveer nodded at her, a mutual understanding passing between them.

"They indeed are."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: A Smile worth Living For**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The house was doused in silence as Ishaani was sitting in the hall and working, her mind in a buzz over the several funds and cash memos out in front of her while several ledgers lay open. Martin walked up to her and handed her a cup of coffee that she willingly accepted and made his way back around the house to inspect whether everything was in order or not.

September had quickly faded over into October, along with which Ishaani's apprehensions faded away completely. Her initial discomfort had quickly changed into one of ease and homeliness in the first few days itself. She managed to know Martin and Claudine even better in that one month and they had now become a new family for her, a one that she grew to love and care for even more than her own.

Ranveer made it a point to return home early each day so that he could spend more time with Ishaani. The two of them would always have dinner together now with Claudine and Martin. Martin would always try to excuse himself from sitting on the dining table with Ranveer and Ishaani for he didn't feel that it was his place to do so, but neither of them would hear anything. Ishaani and Martin bonded just as well as how Ranveer bonded with Martin while Claudine and Ishaani got along instantly. The four of them had a new universe amongst themselves and it was on several nights that they invited Martha along for dinner as well, that completed the whole set.

Ishaani was given the day off today by Martha to complete the ledgers and make necessary reserves for the funds. Just then, Ishaani heard a pair of footsteps nearing towards her. Raising her head, she saw the coquette figure of Eva Seville approaching, her face alight with dangerous amount of make-up, and her lips parted similar to a duck's. Her hair was auburn, that went beautifully with her navy blue dress and her stilettos increased her height considerably. On the whole, she made for an excellent appearance that would make anyone look at her twice.

But Ishaani never liked her. In that one month, she had noticed the presence of Ms. Seville pretty often when Ranveer was away to work. Being Ranveer's secretary, she would pop in at odd hours, always stating that she been sent by Ranveer to fetch some particular document, even though some time later, she would automatically make some excuse and leave.

Ishaani couldn't even so much as warn the watch guards to forbid her from entering but she wished dearly that she could. Ishaani could never really understand what the woman wanted for she always sat over there for about half an hour, idly waiting until she would go away on her own. Ishaani had a theory about these unpleasant visits, but she kept mum, lest she was wrong.

Another thing that Ishaani hated about the woman was her behavior. Ishaani often noticed that Eva would walk into the mansion like it was her own, ordering about everyone around the house like they were her slaves and it was more than once that Ishaani had to remind her that she was a guest at the house, not the owner. At this point, Ms. Seville would always ask curious questions about what Ishaani was doing at the mansion and why was she living there but the latter never gave her the satisfaction of her nosy behavior.

Ishaani looked at her and groaned inwardly, making a mental note for a restraining order to be charged against her at the police station. She quickly got back to work, trying to pretend that Ms. Seville did not exist around her. However, she could not do it. Even today, as she entered the mansion, she spoke aloud, her voice high and lofty, the ego and arrogance in it much higher that the heels of her stilettos. Snapping her fingers at someone, she spoke arrogantly.

"You. Get me a cup of coffee. Right now." Ishaani looked up towards her once again and saw that she was speaking to Martin. The grip over her pen turned stronger while she glared furiously at Eva.

"I see you've found your way here once again."

"Ah! If it isn't the library girl. What was your name again?"

"Never mind it. Wouldn't like my name be spoken from you anyway. Besides, Ranveer isn't home and hasn't left behind any documents either. So, you can leave, but I know you won't. So please, get the hell out of my sight and let me work."

"See if I care anyway." Eva made her way to one of the pieces of the sofa set and sat down, waiting impatiently. Snapping away at another servant, she ordered her to get her a glass of cold water.

Martin came back after 5 minutes, a cup of coffee on a tray along with a plate of muffins. Ishaani felt irritated and wished that she could have asked Martin to mix a little poison in it but restrained herself. Eva snatched the cup away from Martin's hand ungratefully and took a sip from it. Martin had barely laid down the plate of muffins when a resounding cracking of china was heard. Ishaani looked up from her ledger and Martin looked up to see the cup of coffee splintered on the floor, with a look of disgust on Eva's face.

"What happened, _mademoiselle_? Is everything alright?"

"Alright? _Alright_? Did you intend to poison me with it? Its reeks, you buffoon."

"I'm so sorry,_ mademoiselle_, I-" Eva sprung up to her feet and shook her finger at Martin obscenely.

"_Sorry_? You are a bloody idiot is what you are. You are fired. Do you get me? Fired this instant!" Ishaani got up and walked up to Eva, her eyes cold and her tone threatening.

"I'm sorry, _Eva_, but you don't call the shots here." Eva sneered at her.

"I'm not talking to you. Stay out of this. And _you_-," she turned her attention towards Martin once again, "-what are you even paid for anyway? Stop staring at me like an illiterate moron and just leave. Now!"

What happened next was a blur for Ishaani. Before she knew it, she found her hand curl up into a fist and fly up to Eva's face and smack her nose. Ishaani was about to lung at her further before Martin caught hold of her. Ishaani tried to break free, but Martin's grip was strong enough to restrain her.

"Martin, let go of me! This woman has had it coming ever since she stepped foot here. You let go of me right this instant! _Martin_!"

"_Madame!_ Control yourself! I cannot let you murder her! Besides, she has already fainted." Ishaani stropped writhing and looked at the fallen form of Eva maliciously. Her nose looked broken and blood was splattered across her nose. Martin let go of her cautiously and Ishaani stood silently, seething at the unconscious Eva while Martin quickly checked her up.

"I'll need to take her to the hospital, _madame_. She has been knocked out cold." Ishaani simply rolled her eyes at him while Martin looked half-afraid and half-confused.

"Get some other helper to take her to the hospital. And while you're at it, call the police and ask for a restraining order right now. Then phone Ranveer and tell him about all this. Once everything is done, do get me a glass of brandy. My hands are still shivering."

"I'll get on it right away, _madame_."

* * *

Martin entered the room a few hours later, a glass of brandy in his hand. This was Ishaani's third glass and Martin looked a bit concerned. Ishaani looked at him and smiled, beckoning him towards the coffee table. He reluctantly sat down.

"_Madame_, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Is everything sorted out?"

"Yes, _madame_. _Monsieur_ handled it all."

"Ugh, I feel so stupid. What had gotten into me? Not that I regret smacking her - honestly she had it coming." Martin looked at her intently before standing up.

"Thank you, _madame_."

"For?"

"For standing up for me."

He simply left the room without looking back while Ishaani sat stunned. Martin's behavior had taken her aback and now that she noticed it, he looked considerably upset. Ishaani simply shook her hand and threw it in her palms, her mind running far too fast.

When she felt alright, she got up and headed downstairs, trying to search for Martin. When she couldn't see him anywhere, she simply headed outside the mansion towards the garden area, her eyes constantly trying to find for his form. As she entered the garden, she saw Martin sitting on one of the benches, his head bent, staring simply at his hands.

Ishaani sat beside him, a concern filling her up. She gently put her hand on Martin's shoulder while the latter snapped out of his thoughts abruptly, tears in his eyes.

"Martin, are you alright?"

"I am, _madame_. I'm so sorry I left you so abruptly. You needed something, _madame_?"

"Yes. I need some answers." Martin looked at her guiltily.

"I know what you want to ask, _madame_. But you will not understand. Nobody can."

"Martin, look at me. All my life, I've been tagged illegitimate by the society. But I never let it maim me. All his life, Ranveer was tagged a servant by the society. Look where Ranveer is today. It's not our past that decides who we are, it's our present."

"_Madame_, I am afraid."

"Afraid of what, Martin?"

"All my life, I have lived as a servant. It was only with _monsieur_ that I have ever truly be treated as an equal and with so much love and respect. I'm not ashamed to be called a servant, _madame_. I've no shame about it. But my child. What about it? Tomorrow, when it takes birth in this world, my child's identity won't be its own, it will always be known as a servant's child. I do not want that for my child, _madame_. I do not want to be responsible for the humiliation my child will have to face tomorrow because of me."

"Martin, listen to me. No one will ever speak of your child like that, no one. The society will always speak ill of you, no matter what you do or how much ever you do. Do not worry about making a better society for him. Worry about making him a better person for the society. Besides, when Claudine and her family accepted you warmly into their family without considering anything, why do you think that the society will consider you low? Just because jerks like Eva Seville exist doesn't mean that everyone are the same. I've lived here for 3 years, Martin and trust me, no one will ever dare to raise a finger over you. No one. Neither over you and nor over our Martin Jr., got it?"

Martin nodded at her slowly, his eyes averted.

"Martin, you are family now. I hope I don't have to repeat this again. Besides, whoever says that you are only ever a servant? You practically manage everything about the house as well as help Ranveer about with all of his business deals and transactions. So don't you dare call yourself a servant in front of me ever again, do you get it?" Martin looked at her sheepishly, with gratitude reflecting in his eyes.

"How will I ever repay the two of you, _madame,_ for the love you have given me?"

"That's the deal when you are family. You don't." Ishaani gave Martin a bear hug before getting up. Martin looked at her dazed and gave her a watery smile before Ishaani spoke lovingly.

"I hope Martin Jr. inherits your smile. It's certainly a smile worth living for."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: The Beauty of a Bleeding Heart**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani entered the house and saw Claudine at the door. She looked pale, a worried expression on her face.

"What happened?" Ishaani looked at Claudine, a depressed look on her face. She led Claudine back to her room and made her sit down. She explained the entire scenario to her, beginning from Eva's presence and ending with her conversation with Martin. Ishaani let the information sink in for Claudine after which the latter looked at her and sighed.

"As much as I admire your love and loyalty for standing up to Martin, you shouldn't have hit her, Ishaani. You know you could get into trouble for that." Ishaani looked surly while she replied.

"Martin is always my first priority. And I won't stand for any of this nonsense that happens while Martin stands around quietly, hearing and living with this. Look the effect it's had on him already."

"I've been worried about this precise thing."

"Claudine, why don't you talk to Martin about this?"

"I've tried to several times, but it has no effect over him whatsoever. I'm afraid to tell him the truth Ishaani."

"Afraid to tell him what truth?"

"That we're going to be parents of twins."

"But that's- wait, what?" Ishaani looked at Claudine in dumb silence for a couple of moments before a huge smile broke across her face. "Claud, that's great! You should definitely tell this to Martin right away!"

"I know I have to, but what if he isn't ready?"

"Claud, he has been ready for this since long. He just needs a boost in confidence and needs to trust himself. Besides, I've seen in these 4 months what this child has transformed him into. Oops, I should say children." Claudine laughed and waved her off.

"But still Ishaani. I've even gone as far as to ask him to complete his Masters by doing a correspondence course, but he isn't even agreeing to that."

"Wait, what?

"Martin has done his Bachelors in Finance and Marketing and has competed his majors in English and Economics." Ishaani sat stunned for a few minutes before she spoke outrageously.

"Then why on earth is he working as a butler!? This is barbaric!" Claudine sighed while Ishaani fumed in incomprehensible anger.

"I guess I'll tell you the whole thing now that the topic is out."

"Wait, so does that mean that Ranveer knows about this?"

"Yeah he does. He has tried convincing Martin himself several times, but Martin simply wouldn't agree."

"But why?"

"As you know, Martin was born and brought up in a very poor family. Back as a kid, he used to work at the house of a very rich family as a servant cum helper for the kids in the family. It was his duty to be with them all time, wherever the kids went. Martin was pretty smart. He caught up on school work pretty well. His master decided to educate him as well and to educate him on the same level as the kids of the family so that he could tutor the kids without any problem. That's how Martin managed to complete his education."

"What happened then?"

"All the kids of the family were sent abroad, but Martin was denied the opportunity. Martin couldn't afford the money to go abroad neither could he get a chance to work anywhere for any company because everyone in that town knew about Martin's social status. He begged his 'master' to help him, but that fiend only laughed at him. That's when Martin decided that he needed a job enough to sustain him primarily and then a career. He somehow managed to get away from that place and travelled a bit around Europe with the amount of money he had saved in all those years. He tried getting a job in several places, but his social status was always brought out in the open and he was laughed and ridiculed at."

Ishaani had her hands clasped over her mouth while Claudine looked downcast.

"Martin tried and tried, but nothing worked out for him. He didn't want to go back to slavery but he knew that no one would ever give him a chance. He tried for a year, surviving somehow, but he kept failing, until one day, he gave up on ever making a life for himself. Martin never tells me what happened that day, but it was something life changing that made Martin abandon his degrees and made him make up his mind for good that he is going to be a servant for all his life. That day, he had lost hope on everything, even on living. He somehow reached Athens within the next three days. That's the same day that he met Ranveer."

"Does Ranveer know what happened to Martin that day?"

"No. Martin is the only one who knows the truth about that day. He always says that it's the only secret that he ever has and that will die with him in the grave." A tear escaped Claudine's eyes now. "Ishaani, Ranveer may never realize this but he gave Martin a new life all over again. In these three years, even though Ranveer may have kept Martin as his butler, I know that Ranveer does that just for Martin's sake. Martin is always happy, but no one knows the amount of pain he hides within that smile of his. Even till this date, he cries in his sleep several nights, muttering things that go beyond my understanding, but things that cause him so much pain. I have helped him cure several of those wounds in our three years together but God knows that his wounds will sustain a lifetime and even that will fall short for him."

Ishaani looked at Claudine and simply hugged her while both the women sobbed over each other's shoulders. They broke apart after some time and Ishaani took Claudine's hand in her own.

"Claud, I promise you that Ranveer and I will do our best to get Martin out of that shell and give him a new life altogether. Whatever it may take to do then." Claudine smiled at Ishaani and cupped her cheek.

"Will you take a word of advice from me?" Ishaani nodded at her and Claudine looked at her meaningfully.

"Never let Ranveer away from you, not at any cost. No matter how much pain you may give each other, at the end of the day, you are a part of each other. Always remember that. Never let go of him."

Ishaani nodded at her solemnly and stood up. Claudine smiled at something over her shoulder and Ishaani turned around to see Martin standing behind, a little pale, but otherwise alright. Claudine took a deep breath and cleared her throat while Ishaani left the room silently, getting the cue of what Claudine was about to do.

* * *

Ranveer entered Ishaani's room, a serious look on his face. Ishaani was sitting on the bed, the glass of whiskey that Martin had brought her earlier untouched, yet held firmly in her grip.

"Hey, Sunny." Ishaani looked towards the door and saw Ranveer, but she didn't say anything. Ranveer came and sat beside her.

"How is she?"

"She's alright. Doctors say that she'll be fine. She had a hairline fracture, but she's been into surgery so the doctors say that she's going to be alright now. No scars or anything for her."

"I'm sorry. I know I screwed up bad."

"It's alright, really. Though I am kind of amused that she pushed you to the limit that you smacked her." Ranveer gave her an encouraging look and she sighed.

"She insulted Martin and roamed about like she owned us all. I hate the kind." Ranveer nodded his head in some unknown satisfaction.

"So that's what happened." Ishaani turned to look at him, confusion etched on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Martin told me about it, but not the part where she insulted him. So naturally, I knew something was amiss. You wouldn't even think about hurting a fly, let along smack someone this bad." Ishaani nodded her head while making up her mind.

"Now that you mention Martin, I need to talk with you. About him."

"Go ahead."

"No, wait. Listen, if you want, I'll apologize to Eva tomorrow. I don't want to stir anymore trouble for you." Ranveer looked at her, his gaze questioning.

"What do you want to apologize for?"

"Breaking her nose. I'm not sorry for why I did it, but I never really wanted to smack her. It just... happened." Ishaani looked reproachful at herself and Ranveer gave her an understanding look.

"Well in that case, there is no need to apologize. Besides, she's fired."

"What?"

"Yeah. I don't like people prying about my personal life. I had made the point clear enough to her when I hired her but she didn't comply. Besides, her work has been under satisfactory for the past one month, given all her distractions and infatuations." Ranveer gave Ishaani a meaningful look and Ishaani looked triumphant.

"I knew that her intentions were fishy right from the start."

"You should have told me right away. This day wouldn't have come."

"I know. But I didn't think that it was true. I just thought that maybe I was getting jealous or possessive or maybe simply overthinking stuff up."

"Jealous, huh? Looks like things are getting pretty serious here." Ranveer smirked at her and Ishaani turned crimson.

"Well, I-"

"Never mind. It's a pity though that poor Eva had to see my Sunny today. I still can't believe that you smacked her." Ranveer looked amused while Ishaani gave him a grudging smile. Once Ranveer managed to sober down, he looked at her, his gaze analyzing hers.

"What's wrong?"

"Claudine told me about Martin today." Ranveer looked at her questioningly and she narrated her conversations with Claudine and Martin. Ranveer listened to her silently while he looked at her forlorn face. Once Ishaani finished speaking, Ranveer sighed.

"You know, when I met Martin in the hospital, I asked him about himself. He told me the whole thing honestly, about how he was searching for a job and how people made fun of him and never socially accepted him. I'd noticed it then that he was never ashamed of who he was, he was only ashamed of working amongst people who had such low thoughts. I offered him a place in my company, but he refused."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He asked me whether I needed a servant and if I ever did, I could keep him as one. I was shocked. You know, when Martin told me his story, I had an instant connection with him. You will know why. But when he refused my offer, I was astounded. I tried to make him understand, but he wouldn't listen to anything. I didn't know whether the accident had shaken his brain up or whether he had gone insane, but I knew I had to help him. I knew he needed sustenance at least. That's why I grudgingly had to keep him as my all round helper, because he wouldn't agree for anything higher than that."

"Did you ever bring up the topic with him?"

"Several times. But each time, he refused my offer politely, stating that he was happy helping me out in household chores and in my business deals unofficially, but he didn't want a career anymore." Ishaani looked at Ranveer desperately.

"Ranveer, we have got to do something."

"I know. But he needs to get over whatever happened to him that day. That's the only way out." Ishaani looked at him, a blank look in her eyes.

"Is it that easy?" Ranveer caught on her changed tone and looked at her, comprehension dawning over him.

"It never is."

"And yet you forgave me for calling you a servant and accepted me back so openly." Ranveer stared at her, an involuntarily gasp escaping him at being caught off-guard so suddenly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't think that you can fool me. The pain just came up in your eyes, along with the gasp." Ranveer stared at her transparently, letting the curtain fall from his eyes. Ishaani bit her lips in pain, her eyes unable to meet his own before something shattered.

Ranveer looked down to see the glass of brandy in Ishaani's hand broken, blood dripping from the several cuts in her palm while several shards of glass were pierced in her skin. Ishaani let out a soft shriek of pain while Ranveer sprang up from the bed in alarm.

"Ishaani! Look what you did!" Ishaani sat there simply, staring at her bleeding hand while Ranveer quickly went over to the bed stand and brought over the first aid box. He quickly took her bleeding hand in his, squinting his eyes in pain as he saw the shards in her hand. Ishaani looked at him blankly.

"Sunny, it's going to hurt a lot." Ranveer pulled out the biggest shard while Ishaani simply bit her knuckle to control her pain. Ranveer gasped, as he pulled out the next one and more blood began to pour out from the wound.

Ranveer looked at Ishaani and suddenly a shrewd expression crossed his face along with an understanding look in his eyes.

"Hmmm. Alright. I'll give you a few tips on how to go about first aids so that you'll ease up a bit." Ishaani stared at Ranveer transfixed while he continued, making sure not to break eye contact with her.

"Rule no. 1. Never inflict self-injuries. No point in doing it. You cause yourself and your loved ones pain." Ishaani stared at him hard while he pulled out another shard. She didn't gasp this time, for her mind was still absorbing the words Ranveer had spoken. He looked at her intently and continued.

"Rule no. 2. Remove the shards carefully. No point keeping it in just because pulling it out will hurt." Ishaani gave him a curious look now while she distantly felt a shard being pulled out.

"Rule no. 3. Clean the blood off. No point in keeping bad blood as a layer over your hurting wounds." Ranveer swiftly pulled out another shard while Ishaani gave him an intelligent look.

"Rule no. 4. Wipe the wounds with antiseptic. They'll sting a lot, but they'll not let the wounds get infected. Poisoned wounds are the worst." Ranveer blew some air over her bleeding wounds while Ishaani shut her eyes, letting Ranveer's words wash over her.

"Rule no. 5. Bandage the wound. Let it heal. Keep it dry and don't let water get to it. But make sure to keep changing it from time to time. It doesn't do good to hide wounds under one pretense." Ishaani chuckled at the reference Ranveer used for tears while Ranveer looked at her sheepishly.

"Rule no. 6. Once the wound gets a bit old, stop wearing the bandage. Keep the half-healed wound open now. But make sure never to re-open the same wound. It leaves a scar forever. Never do that." Ishaani and Ranveer now locked their eyes in an intense eye lock, the latter's statement echoing around them in a meaningful whisper of advice.

"Rule no. 7. Follow these rules and your wound is cured. No marks, no problems. And you are back to normal." Ishaani stared at him, her eyes ablaze while she laughed at him slowly.

"You just have an answer for everything now, don't you?"

"Ah well, it took me quite some time to master these 7 rules. I made mistakes in almost every step, but I've learnt the trick now. And I've been healing myself slowly but successfully. And you should definitely give this a go." Ishaani smiled at Ranveer as he removed the last shard from her wound. Ishaani turned her hand around slowly, a confused look on her face.

"What happened?"

"My hand. I can't feel it." Ranveer stared at her intently for a few moments before he caught her hand in his and held it in a firm grip. Ishaani hissed in pain. Her hand was bleeding through his own and she shut her eyes in pain.

"Open your eyes." Ranveer saw Ishaani open her eyes, watery in pain.

"Look at our hands." Ishaani looked down to see Ranveer clasping her hand gently while blood trickled from her hands into his own.

"This is us. Our heart. Beating as one and bleeding as one. You know, I've read several books on love and soul mates and I came to realize this particular fact in the three years of solitude. There are several couples who are perfect. Meant to be for each other and are always the reason of happiness. But, very rare are couples who are platonic. These couples complete each other's heart and soul and give each other the happiness that the world denies them. But these couple are always the one who give the maximum amount of pain to each other. They wound and maim each other's hearts, but they are the only one who can make the wound heal."

"It sounds familiar." Ranveer laughed at Ishaani's statement while Ishaani gave him a comic look.

"We are from the second category. We love each other, cannot ever be truly happy without each other, yet we give each other pain and wound each other. It's part of who we are and what our relationship is. That's where my first rule kicks in. We end up causing self-inflicted injuries to our hearts, but we end up killing each other because our hearts have never been with us. I lost my heart to you forever back when I was 9. You lost yours to mine somewhere along back when we were friends, without ever truly realizing it. So you see, we are no longer the owner of our own hearts. We have each other's hearts beating within us. So do take care of that heart of mine."

Ishaani leaned forward and kissed Ranveer on his cheek slowly, her lips lingering much longer that it should have. Ranveer smiled at her while she stared at him unsure. Ranveer smiled and pulled himself away while Ishaani shook her head in embarrassment.

"I know that my heart is in safe hands." Ranveer smiled at her and she gave him a lovingly look. "What would I have done without you?"

"Let's not get into that right now. Leave that conversation for another day. Let me clean up your hand first." Ranveer let go of Ishaani's hand and dabbed cotton over the blood to stem the flow. Ishaani simply stared at Ranveer lovingly while the sole though crossed her mind.

"There would have been no life without you."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: The Aubergine Book Fair**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The library was in a din as Ishaani had removed hundreds of copies of several books from all genres and had piled them up in Martha's cabin.

"Ishaani dear, how many copies of_ Jane Eyre_ are you planning to give out?"

"Would 10 do?"

"Yeah, I think that should suffice."

Ishaani took out 10 copies of _Jane Eyre_ in a pile on the right hand corner of the cabin while Martha stacked along with it 20 copies of _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, And There Were None and Annie Frank_. Ishaani tossed out several copies of _The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Rings, The Catcher in the Rye, Invisible Man_ and_ A Tale of Two Cities_ along with the stack.

"Ishaani, did you speak to Sebastien about the copies of _In Search of Lost Time _and_ Madame Bovary_?"

"Yes and he said that they'll be here in 2 hours."

"Oh God, we will be able to make it now, won't we?"

"Martha, relax! It's going to be fine. The book fair is going to be a success. Besides, it's there after a week. We've already prepared everything. Sebastien has to just help us with the copies of the books we want and we're clear."

"Oh God, I don't know what would have happened had you not been here."

"Martha, don't ponder over 'ifs' and 'buts'. And while you are at it, just pass me five copies of _The Ginger Man._"

Martha passed her the copies and Ishaani put in into another pile while she put seven copies of _The Call of the Wind_ and _The Death of the Heart _into another pile. She quietly pulled out three copies each of _The Grapes of Wrath _and_ To the Lighthouse _and put them along with the copies of _Brave New World_ and _Animal Farm_.

Ishaani put all the books stacked separately in their respective cardboard boxes and sealed them up properly, the labels of the boxes already written on in advance. Ishaani knew that the book fair was important for Martha, because this was the 50th Anniversary of the Aubergine Book Fair and all donations would be given to an orphanage. Martha was worried about all the arrangements, given that all the preparations were to be done on a grand scale, but Ishaani managed to keep her relaxed, taking all responsibilities off her shoulders and relieving Martha of the stress.

Keeping the three cardboard boxes along with the 7 other packed ones, Ishaani and Martha both left the cabin, with Martha getting back to the desk and Ishaani picking up the cardboard box containing the new copies of the same books that were to be sold during the fair. Walking up to the Sci-Fi section, she carried about the box of books with her, stopping by the bookcase.

Keeping the box down, she removed three copies of _The Time Machine. _She tiptoed towards the uppermost shelf and placed the books in the empty slots when she suddenly felt a pair of hand wrap around her waist. Turning around in surprise, she saw Ranveer smiling at her and a huge grin crossed her face as well.

"Didn't work this time."

"The horror section would have worked a wonder."

"Oh shut up." Ishaani blushed while Ranveer pulled her closer to himself. She threw her arms around his neck and smiled at him while his arms still remained snaked over her waist.

"How is Martha doing?"

"She's freaked out with the whole thing, but otherwise, she's alright. I've got everything in running order. This should be perfect by next week."

"Once the fair is done, I have a surprise for us."

"Us?"

"Yeah. And it's a pretty awesome one as well." Ishaani scrutinized Ranveer's excited look and shook her head in worry.

"I really hope that it's not one of your foolish antics again. Because that jack-a-hammer from yesterday was so not cool."

"Oh c'mon! That was a prank. This is the real thing!"

"We'll see about that." Ranveer rolled his eyes at Ishaani and she shook her head. "How's Claudine? Is she feeling okay? I felt so horrible that I couldn't be with her today because of all the work."

"She's absolutely fine now. Martin hasn't left her side since morning. Though if you ask me, he hasn't pretty much left her side since last week, ever since he found out that he's going to be the father of twins." Ishaani smacked Ranveer's chest reproachfully while she smiled. "What? You know it's true."

"I find it really cute."

"Okay. So tell me, what else comes under your definition of cute?" Ranveer looked at Ishaani, his puppy dog eyes staring right through her own onyx ones. She quivered under his gaze, her resistance crumbling steadily.

"Stop it. You're making me go all nervous."

"Am I now?" Ranveer reduced his voice to a dangerous whisper, as Ishaani stared at Ranveer intently before pulling Ranveer's face closer to her own. Ranveer looked surprised, but didn't say anything, his eyes still staring intensely into her own. Ishaani smirked and made a last minute diversion towards Ranveer's ear and whispered slowly.

"Yes. And in response to you previous question, _you_." She separated herself from Ranveer's grasp and gave him a playful look as Ranveer looked dazed. She walked away towards the Adventure section, the box in her hand while she winked at him once. Ranveer could only stare at her as she walked from section to section, arranging the books in their respective orders, a single thought captured in his mind.

_What would life have ever been without her?_

* * *

The rest of the week passed in the complete preparations of the book fair that was to happen in Naxou's _Esperidon Square_. Ishaani had the entire set up of their stall ready on a windy Friday, that was chilly yet had a bit of sun peeking about from time to time.

There were stalls put up by several bookshops from all over the districts of _Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni_, but the one of Neapolitan City stood right in the center of the fair, the center of attraction and the limelight of the day.

Books sold before the blink of an eye and by seven that evening, most of the stalls were nearly empty, all the books on the stalls almost sold out. Neapolitan City managed to make the maximum contribution and the funds raised were more than expected for the orphanage.

A small party was hosted by the committee members of the fund raising event the same evening, Ranveer being amongst one of the committee members. Ranveer brought Ishaani along with him to the party arm in arm as his date for the evening. Ishaani smiled, the glow on her face pronounced by the joy of being in Ranveer's company, apart from the sleeveless, floor-length aubergine-colored gown she had on, a halter neckline along with pleats. Ishaani had pulled her hair up in a half bun, leaving a lock of stray hair on either side while she only wore a bracelet on her hand to accompany her earrings. Her ring from Ranveer glowed strongly in the lights from the hall. Ranveer on the other hand donned a typical black and white tuxedo. Both of them were dressed according to the dress code for the party tonight.

All the guests were met and introduced to each other at the party and a light atmosphere circled overhead, the cool autumn breeze from outside entering the hall through the windows. Ranveer introduced Ishaani to all the other committee members on board, all of them recognizing her by her work towards the library in the past 6 months. Ishaani was surprised when the members applauded her appreciatively and her confusion was apparent as to how they knew that much about her before Ranveer mentioned that the book fair committee observed and provided external management to all major libraries in the three districts, Neapolitan City being the biggest and oldest one on the list.

After the _apperitifs _and the_ hors d'oeuvres_ went around the party, the chief committee members clinked their glasses of vine in unison, a call for the round of dance to begin. This time, Ranveer pulled Ishaani to the center of the hall confidently while she smiled at him and interlocked her fingers with his. They swayed to the slow tune being played in the back ground while they stared at each other with love.

"Last time was pretty much a disaster now, wasn't it?"

"Naah. We danced pretty well. In fact, the best so far I would say."

"Oh c'mon. You know what I'm talking about."

"Now that you mention about it, I spent fifteen minutes of that night holding you so close to me, yet I felt so blank that night. I still don't know how I managed to pull off that party."

"All I remember when you asked me to dance last time was my confusion as to whether I should run away or just simply accept your hand."

"Yeah, I was pretty afraid you would refuse point blank. The only reason why I got the courage to ask you to dance was because I still had my wall of armor that night around my heart." Ishaani had a distant look of horror on her face before she snapped back.

"Yeah, you pretty much frightened me that night with all the cold lifelessness about you. I thought I'd lost you forever." Ranveer caressed her cheek lovingly.

"I thought so too. But then, you gave me a new life and with it, my old self. Or rather a new version of my old self that same night." Ishaani let Ranveer twirl her once before she continued.

"Hmmm. Well, as you said, we have the power to heal each other. That night was one of those." Ranveer grinned at her while she looked at him innocently.

"My, my. Someone is following my rule book pretty obediently." Ishaani struck her tongue out at him before Ranveer turned her about, so that now she was backing him while they now held opposite hands.

"You did speak sense that day." Ranveer and Ishaani both swayed to the tune before Ranveer whispered.

"I always speak sense." Ishaani turned back and gave him a skeptical look.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it, Mr. Tuxedo." Turning her about once again so that they came back to their previous posture, Ranveer gave her a meaningful look.

"You'll do well in following my word as well, Ms. Aubergine." Ishaani nodded at him while giving him a mesmerizing look. They both danced silently for a few minutes before a new thought crossed her mind.

"Curiously enough, this fair was founded in the memory of Mrs. Cathy Aubergine now, wasn't it?" Ranveer gave her an impressed look.

"So you do know about her. Yeah, this was founded in her memory. Funnily enough, it's her 50th death anniversary today."

"Yeah, I know. And it's obvious that I would know about Cathy Aubergine. I mean, she's the one who founded Neapolitan City in the first place." Ishaani and Ranveer gave each other a serene look at the thought of the library.

"She was a pretty interesting woman now, wasn't she?" Ishaani nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah. Her stories were pretty inspirational to me back when I'd read her biography. It's one of the main reasons why I came to Neapolitan City for work."

"Quoting her from her book, I think she described Neapolitan City '...as a place of adventure and thrill, where one no longer will remain oneself, but will live a thousand lives each day, breathe through the characters of thousands of books while fighting battles of honor and valor in worlds far more inflicted than their own.' Her description was so true now, wasn't it?"

"It's pretty much true. Its pity that she barely lived a day to see how her library touched the lives of so many people."

"She died the same night the library had its inauguration ceremony. And the same day, Neapolitan City took birth."

"The classic irony of life." The tune changed and with it, the new tune caught on a faster beat and Ranveer and Ishaani now danced accordingly. Ranveer look and Ishaani and spoke honestly.

"By the way, I would have been totally wrong if I'd told you that you looked stunning in that green gown that day. You look even more beautiful in this one."

"You don't look that bad either. I must say, tuxedoes look pretty good on you." Ranveer gave her a cheeky look and she laughed at him happily, grazing his cheek with affection.

"So, when do you intend to give me my surprise, now that the fair is all done and that too all successfully?"

"Wait till we get home. I'm glad you mentioned it to me." Ishaani smiled at him, as he twirled her around once before the song came to an end.

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer entered the latter's bedroom, a tired sigh escaping from both their lips. Ishaani took off her stilettos and massaged her aching heels while Ranveer rid himself of his tie.

"That dancing really got my feet all aching."

"It was really fun though. It's been ages since I've last danced with you to my heart's content." Ishaani looked at Ranveer and shook her head in an exasperated manner.

"You were going to give me a surprise." Ranveer smiled at her eagerness.

"I'm glad to see that you're pretty excited about it."

"Well go on. What is it?" Ranveer walked up to his wardrobe and opened it, taking something out from it. Coming back to Ishaani, he handed over to her two passports and tickets along with a brochure.

"Since it's my birthday next week, I got myself a present, along with a surprise for you. We're going to Vegas."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Love Is Indeed a Crazy Business**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani looked at Ranveer stunned for a minute before she finally found her voice.

"What!" Ishaani looked at him in surprise while Ranveer gave her a confused look.

"What happened?" Ishaani looked at him incredulously.

"I thought that whole thing about Vegas was a joke." Ranveer rolled his eyes at her while she cocked up an eyebrow in question.

"Sunny, you downed half a bottle of scotch just because you lost the bet on Vegas and our conversation took another turn that I was least expecting. But just to clarify things, I was pretty serious about Vegas." Ishaani shut her eyes at the mention of the incident.

"Ugh, don't remind me about it. That's still pretty embarrassing." Ranveer shook his head, clearly disappointed at the way the surprise was being received.

"Alright, but Vegas is pretty much on."

"What about your work?" Ranveer gave her an irritated look.

"I've been working continuously like an ass for the past 5 years. I think it's about time I treated myself to a luxurious 10-day off. Any more questions?" Ishaani could sense Ranveer's irritation and placed her next question cautiously.

"What about my work?" Ranveer gave her an exasperated look now.

"I spoke to Martha about this. She was more than happy to give you a 10-day leave. She says you have more than earned it after your outstanding contribution in the Aubergine Fair." Ishaani nodded her head solemnly.

"What about Martin and Claudine?" Ranveer looked at her and smiled in spite of himself.

"They'll be fine. All the helpers are here to help them out."

"When is our flight?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders and muttered blankly.

"It's tomorrow night." Ranveer gave her a hesitant look. "But hey listen, if you don't want to go, I'll cancel the tickets and reservations. It's alright."

Ishaani got up and gave him a hug. Ranveer held her close to him, the faint fragrance of lemon verbena sachet from her hair soothing his heart. Ishaani looked up at him and gave him a hypnotizing look before she spoke lovingly.

"I want you to have the best birthday of your life. Whatever it takes to give you that. All our lives, I've seen you celebrate your birthday doing household chores despite Papa giving you the day off. You never accepted any gift from me except for talking you out and having samosas, tea and some ice-cream. You haven't celebrated your birthday even once in these 5 years. I think it's about time I made sure you got the best day of your life."

Ranveer smiled and kissed her on her head.

"Get your bags packed up then."

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani boarded the plane and took their respective seats in the aircraft. Ishaani had given about more than a dozen instructions each to Martin, Claudine and Martha, asking them to contact in case of the slightest trouble or issue. Claudine and Martha rolled their eyes at the mention of this while Martin reassured her that he would take care of everything and everyone. Ranveer, on the other hand bid them all goodbye in smiles, Martha and Claudine giving his smirks and crooked glances alike over his enthusiasm. Martin assured Ranveer that he would take over all of his affairs till he could return.

Ranveer and Ishaani forbade all of them to see them to the airport because of the wee hours of their flight and Martin and Claudine agreed reluctantly. Ranveer had already reserved their seats well in advance in the business class and Ishaani looked fairly happy because the seats were much more comfortable. She felt her aching back relax and the tiredness kick in after her strenuous work for the fair and the unexpected preparations for the journey. Ranveer stared wide eyed towards the pitch black sky, happiness pounding within the confines of his heart in a giddy recurrence.

He looked by his side once the flight took off to see Ishaani asleep over his shoulder and smiled at her sleeping form. Calling over one of the air hostesses, he managed to separate Ishaani from himself and gently pull her seat over a horizontal line, so that her seat now served as a bed. He covered her form with a shawl and switched off the lights overhead, so that her sleep would remain uninterrupted. He looked outside through the window once again, the sky now an indigo color. He knew that dawn was away from a couple of hours. He smiled to himself, a silent prayer escaping his heart that the two of them could spend ten full days of quality time with each other.

After nearly seventeen hours of travel, Ranveer and Ishaani finally left the McCarran International Airport hand in hand, both of them letting out a yawn in rapid succession. Getting into the car that the hotel had sent for them, Ranveer and Ishaani made themselves comfortable before the latter put her head over his shoulder once again.

"Sunny, I, uh, kind of forgot to ask you something." Ishaani gave him a non-committal sigh and he continued. "What would you prefer better - a one-bedroom suite or a two-bedroom suite?" Ishaani looked at him curiously and laughed at him.

"Don't you think it's kind of too late for that? Besides, I'm fine with both."

"But just say so theoretically. What would you prefer better?" Ishaani tapped her finger over her cheek, deep in thought.

"Okay. Given our current scenario, I would say a two-bedroom one. As per our new story, we have only just begun courting each other right now." Ranveer gave a sigh of relief.

"It's good that I booked us a two-bedroom suite then." Ishaani shook her head as the scene of their drive to Panchmeshmar crossed her mind, along with Ranveer's fake memory loss. She smiled to herself, wondering how and why they had lost their innocence between them so soon before she felt Ranveer's gaze over her.

"Thinking about our disastrous honeymoon?" Ishaani perked her head up and gave him a sheepish look.

"That is a memory worth every penny of it. Or atleast, the first half was. The second half of it pretty much the linchpin for the destruction I brought upon our relationship." Ranveer looked at her solemnly, his eyes reflecting the guilt that his heart felt. He knew that now was the least appropriate time to let her know about her father's death, but an instinct rose within him that kept urging him to take the initiative.

"Ishaani, I've told you this plenty of times. There's no point playing the blame game here for what happened between us. We were both as bad as each other in our own ways."

"But still. Blaming you over Papa's death was the biggest stupidity that I could do." Ishaani turned to stare at Ranveer and noticed his pale pallor. She realized that the conversation was now treading dangerous waters and she didn't want to spoil this moment of happiness that she was giving him up until now. She cleared her throat gently and he snapped out of his thoughts. Ranveer cleared his throat nervously and spoke.

"Listen, if you want, I don't mind-"

"Shhh. It's alright. I don't need to know. Not now atleast. When the time comes for it, I'll ask you about this. Today isn't the day and neither are we prepared to open those books and boxes of the past. So let them be for now. We'll save this conversation for another day."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Trust me. And cheer up, this is your party. I won't be pretty pleased if I have to bear a surly and annoying Ranveer for ten whole days."

Ranveer smiled and kissed her gently on her head while Ishaani interlocked her hand within his. She smiled as she saw the titanium band on his finger. She couldn't believe that she was sitting this calm beside him, trusting his judgement and not prying about her father's death or demanding him for answers, but simply trusting him, knowing that he would tell her the truth when the time would come.

Love was indeed a crazy business.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani walked up to the reception of the Palms Casino and Resort while the chaperones freed them of their luggage. The couple made their way to the reception, where the manager was sitting, going through the register.

"Welcome sir and madam. How may we help you?" Ranveer smiled and continued.

"I have a reservation under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Vaghela."

"Wait sir, let me check." The receptionist checked his register and a warm smile crossed his features. "Ah! Here we have you. Mr. and Mrs. Vaghela, the two-bedroom penthouse and presidential suite. Exquisite choice of room, I must commend you sir."

Ranveer gave him a customary smile and a polite look while Ishaani bent her head in order to stifle her laughter. The manager signaled the bellboys to show them to their room, which was on the 35th floor. Opening the suite for them, the bellboy handed the key card over to them while Ranveer tipped the boy handsomely. Ishaani and Ranveer entered the suite and a gasp escaped Ishaani's lips.

"Is this a room or a house?" Ranveer could make out the awe in Ishaani's voice and replied happily.

"Given that I want to celebrate my birthday with you in the best way possible, I thought that a bit of splurging would do no harm."

"The room is pretty impressive." Ishaani gave him an appreciative look and Ranveer pulled off a mock bow.

"Ah well, you might want to check up on your room also. See which you like better. Not that it makes much of a difference, since I'm taking this room anyway." Ishaani scowled at him while Ranveer gave her a triumphant look.

"That's not fair! You only get to call dibs once we've seen both the rooms!"

Ranveer stuck out his tongue at her and Ishaani fumed, as she walked up to the connecting door and swung it open. A bigger gasp left her lips at the sight of this room and a mischievous smirk appeared across her features.

"On second thoughts, you're right. I think that I'll take this room. You can have the other one, seeing that you like it so much." Ranveer looked puzzled and came up behind her to give the other room a look. He narrowed his eyes at Ishaani while the latter feigned an innocent look.

"Naah Sunny, you're right. We should make the decision only once we've seen both the rooms. I was just pulling your leg. And you can have the other room if you like it that much. I'll be fine with this one. Take the other one with pleasure."

"Nopes. I think I'm pretty happy with this one. Besides, the birthday boy is happy with the other room, so your wish is my command."

"Oh no, honey. That room is all yours. Your happiness is above everything else for me."

"Darling, my happiness is in this room itself. You can take the other one with pleasure." Ishaani shot him a sugary look and the argument died down on his lips. Reconsidering options, she smiled at him again.

"Want to toss?"

"Be my guest." Ranveer smiled and pulled out a pence from his pocket.

"Heads or tails?"

"Tails, I win. Heads, you lose." Ranveer looked confused for a moment before he gave her a deadpan look.

"Yeah right because I have stupid written on my head now, haven't I?" Ishaani blushed under his gaze while Ranveer slapped his head.

"Oh alright, alright. Tails it is." Ranveer shook his head and tossed the coin in the air. The moment it made contact with the ground, Ranveer and Ishaani both leapt over the coin to get a better look at it.

"Yes! Tails it is! Ha! This room is mine!"

"Okay, fine! Have the room. I'll be happy with this one."

Ishaani looked at him and slowly threw her arms over his neck and pulled him close. Ranveer looked stunned for a moment before he curled his arms securely around her waist. Ishaani gave him a kiss on his cheek and whispered.

"The other room isn't that bad also, you know."

Separating herself from the hug, she gave Ranveer a playful look before picking up her suitcase and taking it into the room. Ranveer ran his hand up his hair in an embarrassed look before smiling to himself.

Love was indeed a crazy business.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: The Evening Tour**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

After being knocked out completely for the first day under the extreme effect of their jetlag, Ranveer and Ishaani now sat together in the living room of their suite, happily sipping over their cups of coffee and their heads bents over a piece of paper.

"According to what my agent suggested, these are the best things out here that we can do."

"Pass me that pen over please." Ranveer passed the pen over to her while Ishaani turned the paper towards herself now, reading off the list.

"Vegas Indoor Skydiving - check." Ticking the first activity with pleasurable interest, she continued.

"Titanic Artifacts Exhibition - check again. I've always been interested in the history of the Titanic." She smiled happily and turned to look at Ranveer. "Is it okay with you?"

"Totally." Ishaani gave an approving nod and continued.

"Adventuredome Theme Park - Hmmm... let's leave this for tentative now. What do you think?"

"I think if we manage to get most of our schedule done and get a whole day free, we can pretty much manage it."

"Okay. So let's keep this as 50-50 right now. Next, we have the Aquarium. This is a big check on my part."

"Same goes for me. I've always wanted to see an Aquarium!" Ishaani and Ranveer shared gleeful looks and Ishaani eagerly looked at the list once again.

"Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts - Naah. Won't that be again repetitive? I mean, we are already going to the Titanic Exhibition was well."

"I want to go there as well. I've heard that there are some really brilliant masterpieces over there."

"Hmmm. Okay, we'll keep this on hold as well right now. We'll get back to this again."

"Alright. But I'm still saying that I'm kinda interested in it." Ishaani gave him an acknowledging glance before turning her attention to the paper once again.

"Circus Acts - This sounds like fun. Oh no, but wait. We can't go for this. You're scared of clowns."

"We can go for it. I don't feel afraid of them anymore."

"Huh? How did that happen? All our childhood, I've tried to get you to see a circus show and see clowns and not be afraid of them, but you wouldn't budge. How on Earth did the impossible happen?" Ranveer laughed at her surprise and spoke.

"Last year, I was at a fair. I didn't really have an idea where I was going and what I was doing. By mistake, I ended up sitting through a circus show without being aware about it. It was only at the end, when the show got over, I realized that I'd sat through it without even flinching. And I don't know why, but once the show was done, I went on stage and shook the clown's hand. That was the most idiotic thing I could have done, but it still felt good. I was pretty happy when I left that show before my head went all fuzzy."

"Now wait a minute. You did that on impulse one year back. How come you weren't aware of- ohhh!" Ishaani's look of indignation suddenly changed into one of guilty understanding.

"I'm glad that you caught on to it. Never mind, as I was saying. I was roaming about the fair, I had an illusion that I saw you. Ofcourse by the time I could reach there, I realized that it was someone else altogether." Ishaani looked puzzled.

"Which fair was this?"

"The Mardi Gras one." Ishaani looked at him nervously now.

"Uh..."

"What happened?"

"I did attend that fair last year." Ishaani could make out a triumphant look emerging on Ranveer's face before he asked her, his voice shaking with controlled glee.

"On Friday?"

"On Friday."

An awkward atmosphere overtook the air as Ishaani could hear Martin's words in her mind, describing the state of mind with which Ranveer had come home. Ranveer on the other hand was lost in another realm, triumphant that what he had seen was true and not an illusion. Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw Ishaani have a troubled expression on her face.

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Ishaani tried to cover her look way too fast and Ranveer groaned.

"Martin told you about what happened next, didn't he?" Ishaani gave him a guilty look that was answer enough for Ranveer. Pulling back the paper and pen from Ishaani's hand, he continued hurriedly.

"Alright, now that we have this clarified, that's one less thing to worry about. Moving on, we have the Hot Air Balloon Rides." Knowing that Ranveer wanted to skim through the topic, she quickly turned her attention towards the list.

"Cool! This is a big check for me."

"This is a big check for me as well." Ranveer's eyes suddenly brightened up and Ishaani noticed the glitter in them, but didn't say anything. Instead she tried to peek over the list in Ranveer's hand.

"Calm down! There's just one last thing remaining. That's the Vegas Evening Tour."

"Big check as well for this one."

"Good. We have our list sorted out then. Phew! That got done faster than I expected."

"Oh yeah. But I must say, Vegas makes for a very good change afterall the tiresome work back home." Ranveer smiled at the use of 'home' while Ishaani gave him a content look.

"See, I told you that Vegas would be a brilliant idea!" Ishaani smiled at Ranveer affectionately.

"Vegas was always your dream now, wasn't it?" Ranveer gave Ishaani a knowing look and smiled.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"So tell me, what does birthday boy want to do today?"

"Interesting question." Pulling Ishaani into his arms, he continued. "Given that we've just recovered from our jetlag, let's stick to simple today. How about we go in for the Evening Tour and the Indoor Skydiving later on? I've heard that the lights and ambience make the Indoor Skydiving pretty fun at night. Besides, the weather seems really pleasant today. So we won't be getting chilly as well."

"Sounds like fun to me."

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani sat over the upper deck of the double decker bus, letting the cool evening breeze hit their faces pleasantly while looking around with interest. The tour guide kept giving them the key points over every place they visited while the bus stopped for a couple of minutes and all the people aboard were allowed to remove pictures.

They were taken around on the tour to several famous hotels like the Bellagio, Mirage and the Palazzo, following the tour of various museums around. Ranveer and Ishaani made sure to remove several pictures of theirs in front of the Bellagio fountain that made for a wonderful water effect, along with watching the whole water show with the fountain sprouting water in different themes and patterns. They were then driven across different avenues and squares, buzzing with the night life of Vegas while they were later on shown around the Fremont Street Experience for a one hour gap.

Ranveer and Ishaani walked about the whole of Fremont Street arguing over what they were going to eat before the colorful and vivid animation of the place caught their attention and they went back to removing photos of themselves and then of each other, along with admiring the effects of night life that the street offered. From doing crazy antics with rainbow speakers to going jumping over the bungee net, Ranveer and Ishaani spent that hour with cones of ice-creams and candy floss sticks, along with a packet full of candy that they bought as souvenir from the candy shop.

The last stop on the Evening Tour was an external view of the Indoor Skydiving in the night lights. Ranveer and Ishaani both left the bus and bid all the other tourists goodbye and headed towards the venue where it was happening. Ranveer quickly went to the keeper and asked him the details about the activity before he returned back with two ticket in his hands.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani were back in the living room of their suite, massaging their shoulders and neck. As much as the indoor skydiving was pleasurable with its continuous ups and downs against the strong wind tunnel walls, the strain on their necks, hands and shoulders was evident. Ishaani felt her throat go sore in all the screaming with palpable excitement while Ranveer's eyes still watered a bit despite the protective wear. Dinner was a grand affair as they dined at the hotel nearby, once their skydiving was done with. Both of them nibbled on jelly candies throughout their way back home in the cab.

"Oh my, that was actually fun! Maybe on our next trip, we can actually go parachuting or actual skydiving!"

"Our next trip? I didn't know that you liked this trip this much. For all I knew, you just came along to keep my heart."

Ishaani threw a pillow at him with mock disapproval. Ranveer narrowed his eyes at her before he threw back the pillow at her. Ishaani threw the pillow back at him blindly before she ran from the living room and rushed to her room, Ranveer hot on her heels. Ishaani quickly picked up the pillows from her bed and threw them at him again while Ranveer dodged both the attacks and threw the same pillows back at her.

Ishaani jumped up on the bed and armed herself with two more pillow before she forcefully threw one at Ranveer and kept the other pillow as a weapon in hand in case Ranveer came to attack her.

Ranveer quickly bent and picked up the pillow that caught him square in the face and threw it back at Ishaani, missing her by inches. All the pillows astray, Ishaani stuck her tongue out at him and ran from the room, Ranveer barely able to catch hold of her. Running into his room, she quickly threw three pillows at him in rapid succession, Ranveer dodging two and catching hold of the third one. Throwing that pillow with proper force and aim, the pillow caught Ishaani straight in the back and she tumbled.

Seeing Ranveer catch up with her, she quickly climbed on the bed and tried to find to escape, but Ishaani knew that she was cornered. Ranveer circled around the bed wickedly while Ishaani kept eyeing her one last pillow in hand. Ranveer smirked at her before pouncing over the bed and tried to snatch the pillow, but in vain. Ishaani's hold on the pillow was just as strong and both of them entered into a tug of war over the last pillow, all their sore muscles forgotten in light of their new battle.

Ranveer and Ishaani both put their entire strength in yanking the pillow from each other's hand before the pillow tore, its feathers shooting up in the air and both lost their balance, falling on top of one another. Ranveer groaned in pain as Ishaani fell fully over him, the feathers falling all over them in slow descend. Ishaani and Ranveer both looked at the mess around them and burst out into peals of laughter, the feathers falling over them lazily.

Ranveer smiled at her as he slowly pulled out a feather from Ishaani's hair while Ishaani's laughter died down, a hard look now etched across her features. The tension of the moment was heavy over them, as the build up towards it had reached a new found peak. Ishaani gave Ranveer a hard stare while Ranveer gave her a passionate one. Ishaani's lips quivered as she stared at him, unsure of what was going to happen.

Ranveer let his arms crawl up her waist and he pulled her closer to him, so that they were barely apart from each other now. Giving Ishaani a hypnotizing look, he slowly kissed the button of her nose while she shut her eyes at the contact of his lips over her skin. Ranveer slowly pushed his lips towards her cheek, letting it remain for a couple of moments more, increasing the heat of the moment. Ishaani felt shivers run down her spine and a tingling excitement build-up within her, something she always felt when she was in such close proximity of Ranveer.

Ranveer looked at her and gave her a loving smile before he pulled her into a hug, her head over his chest. Ishaani felt herself relax in his arms as she could sense the tension of the moment fading away, replacing it with a serene calm in her mind.

"I hope you didn't mind."

"We still have eight days. I'm pretty sure we can accommodate our little _escapade_ somewhere much more memorable." Ishaani let herself slip from over Ranveer and fell gracefully to her side while staring at Ranveer, a desire lurking in her eyes. "Goodnight Mr. Vaghela. And thank you for making this day so memorable."

"Always, Mrs. Vaghela."

Ishaani got to her feet clumsily, the pain in her muscles returning once again while she stared at Ranveer mesmerizingly. He gave her an intense look before she blushed under his gaze and left the room, a broad smile on her face.

As she rearranged the pillows in her room, she unconsciously touched her cheek where Ranveer had kissed her, before a broad smile crossed her lips. Climbing up the bed lazily, she shut off the lamps of the room, promising herself.

"I'm going to make sure to give you the best birthday of your life."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The 10-Second Challenge**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

_"Put a foot inside and I'm heading back to the hotel this instant!" _

* * *

The previous day was enjoyable as Ranveer and Ishaani left the Circus Act with a broad smile on their faces, following which they headed towards the Titanic Exhibition. Ishaani left the exhibition enthralled while Ranveer left with a sadness evoked by the dozens of artifacts placed on stands, several of them being belongings of the people who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

They headed next towards the Bellagio Museum of Fine Arts, Ishaani putting forth the idea only because she noticed Ranveer's low spirits. The trick worked well enough and by the time they left the museum, Ranveer was considerably happy.

The current day, Ranveer and Ishaani only lounged about the hotel, sitting near the pool in the morning time while basking in the golden sun. The afternoon passed leisurely with Ranveer and Ishaani both going for the spa massage treatment.

The evening setting in, Ranveer and Ishaani set out for shopping. They managed to buy gifts for Martin, Claudine and Martha, along with several souvenirs for themselves. They were simply walking about the streets after depositing their bags in the car, when Ranveer and Ishaani came across the Onyx Theatre, having various kinds of plays going on. It was only when they sat through one of the plays did they realize that this was not a normal show, but instead dealt with adult and homosexual themes.

Ishaani left the theatre flustered and awkward. Ranveer however, had a smile plastered on his face, a satisfactory look accompanying it.

"Phew! That play was really something now, wasn't it?" Ishaani threw Ranveer a disgruntled look.

"Seriously, Ranveer? You found that _interesting_?"

"Oh come on, Ishaani! I can understand if you didn't like it. These shows are usually meant for men, not women. So it's obvious why you didn't like it. It was bound to happen."

"Ugh, we should have checked about it before sitting through it."

"Come now, Ishaani, its fine! Besides, I was intending on coming and watching one of these shows tonight."

"That's not even- you _what_?!"

"Uh, slip of tongue?" Ranveer slapped himself mentally at his stupidity and Ishaani glared at him furiously.

"Oh! So this is why you took me to that spa treatment in the afternoon!"

"Ofcourse not Sunny, don't be silly now. Besides, why would I need to do all that?"

"To keep me in a good mood so that you could ask me permission for going to that show."

"Uh..."

"Don't you dare tell me that you were going to go for it by fooling me or by lying in my face!?" Ranveer gave Ishaani a guilty look while Ishaani looked furious. "Fine! Do as you please! You see, this is why I used to hate it when you watched _those_ kind of movies! Now because of you, even I had to sit through _this_!"

"Oh don't get so worked up now, Sunny! Besides, I didn't fool you or lie to you now, did I? Then why are you getting all hyper? Relax!" Ishaani narrowed her eyes at Ranveer but pursed her lips nonetheless. They walked up some alleys ahead when the two of them came to an abrupt halt in front of a night club.

Several intoxicated men left the bar while Ishaani wrinkled the nose at the smell of strong whiskey and feminine perfume alike. Both of them looks stunned for a moment as several bikini-clad girls crossed their sight, along with loud music.

"Ranveer, is this a strip club?"

"Yeah, I think it is." Ranveer looked dazed for a couple of moments before he whispered slowly. "Ishaani, would you mind joining me here?"

Ranveer looked towards Ishaani eagerly and his smile faltered. Ishaani gave him a death glare.

_"Excuse me?"_

"Oh come on! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! If you want to come with me, you are more than welcome. If not, I think I'll be fine on my own."

"This is mad!"

"What's mad? This is Vegas! Obviously I want to have some fun here!" Ranveer regretted speaking this, for the next moment, Ishaani looked livid.

"Put a foot inside and I'm headed back to the hotel this instant!" Ranveer scowled at Ishaani as she gave him a defiant look.

"Fine by me!" Ranveer gave her an angry look and entered the club while Ishaani looked dumbfounded before she stormed back towards the car, parked several alleys behind.

* * *

Ranveer walked up to the reception, a worried look on his face. He returned to the hotel two hours later, only to find the suite empty. The shopping bags from earlier were sitting on the sofas in the living room, but Ishaani was nowhere to be seen. He checked her room and her wardrobe, to find her belongings intact.

He grew worried as he searched the hotel's dining areas and other recreational arenas, but in vain. As a last resort, Ranveer asked their hotel escort driver about Ishaani's whereabouts, but all the driver could enlighten him was with the fact that Ishaani had not left the premises. As a final search attempt, Ranveer walked up to the manager, who was seated on the reception, the same one who greeted them on the day of their arrival.

"Mr. Kovalski, have you seen my wife around here by any chance?"

"Sir, she left the premises about an hour ago."

"Did she say where she was headed?"

"Not really sir, but she did ask me about the hotel casino."

"Where is it?"

"It's in the opposite building. We have a separate premise for the casino."

Ranveer thanked the manager and left the hotel in a hurry, praying in his heart that Ishaani was in the casino itself. Entering the casino, Ranveer looked about in stunned awe as he realized how massive the casino was. He looked about frantically and saw Ishaani at long last, sitting near the bar deck, a glass of tequila in her hand.

Running up to her, he gave her a hug before he spoke angrily.

"What is this childishness? Do you have any idea how frightened I was? And what on Earth are you doing here?" Ishaani scowled at him.

"Celebrating on my own, ofcourse! I just won $500,000 on a Hold 'Em Poker game." Ranveer gave her a stunned look.

"Wait, did you just _gamble_?"

"Yeah, I did." Ranveer gave her a disappointed look.

"Ishaani, you know how strict Mota Babuji was when it came to gambling. Even I'm dead against it."

"Papa was against a lot of other things too, but that didn't stop you now, did it? Besides, calm down honey! Don't get so worked up." Ranveer shook his head in exasperation.

"But Ishaani-"

"Relax! This is Vegas! Obviously I want to have fun here!" Ranveer glared at her as she gave him a jeering look.

"This is so not cool."

"You started it. And besides, when you're so engrossed in having fun on your own, why shouldn't I?"

"Ishaani, don't be such a prat. You know I would never do anything like that to hurt you."

Ishaani gave Ranveer an acid look while Ranveer glared at her in rage. Before anything could elapse further, the clinking of glasses could be heard from one side of the casino, along with a loud whooping from the crowd gathered around. Without saying anything more or acknowledging each other, both of them walked towards the large crowd, curious about its continuously multiplying size. Ranveer reached the crowd and asked one of the onlookers standing there about the cause of commotion.

"Sir, don't you know? It's the 10-second challenge, sir!"

"What is it about?"

"It's 5 shots of vodka in a row in less than 10 seconds."

"That's not possible without killing yourself or going wonky."

"That's the point of the challenge! 5 shots in 10 seconds and one million dollars in your pocket."

"One million! There has got to be a catch here!"

"Duh! But many people take the challenge for all the vodka. Nothing to lose, plus a hell lot of awesome vodka as well."

A reckless daring entering him, Ranveer walked up to the front of the circle, just as two people left from the table in the middle, one coughing while the other one walked tipsily, swearing at the top of his voice for losing the challenge by 2 seconds. The host of the game stood by the table with an amused look on his face, as the waiters were replacing the glasses with 5 shots of vodka on each side.

"So, who is up next for the 10-second challenge?" Ranveer walked up to the center, a dangerous look on his face while the host smiled.

"Excellent! And who will be challenging this young gentleman here?"

"I will." Ishaani walked over to the center of the circle, a smirk on her face. Ranveer looked at her shocked before he walked up to her and whispered angrily.

"Are you barking mad?! You can't do this! This is dangerous and the consequences could be severe!"

"Huh, if I could survive after having half a bottle of pure scotch, I'm pretty sure I'll live through this."

"Ishaani, don't do this! I won't let you!"

"Stop being such a baby! Besides, when I'm taking responsibility on my head, I don't see why you are objecting this much."

"Fine! On your head be it then."

"One more thing. If I win, I'm right and you apologize. If you win, you're right and I apologize. Deal?" Ranveer looked torn halfway between anger and confusion before a decisive look crossed his face.

"Deal. Bring it on."

The people around the circle had money passing over to the center of the table that was collected by the host in a box nearby, along with slips being handed over for their chosen side. Ranveer and Ishaani both realized that people were actually betting on them, but their rage for each other's stupidity was far more that caring about the point that people were putting stakes on them.

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Ranveer and Ishaani took the swing from their first glass and slammed it with effect, immediately taking swigs from their second and third glass. Ishaani felt her throat on fire with effect from the vodka while Ranveer took a painful fourth swig from his glass. Ishaani felt her eyes water as she shoved the contents of the fourth glass down her throat in a hurry while she downed the fifth glass down barely before she managed to swallow the contents of the previous one. She smacked down her glass in triumph, as Ranveer smacked down his glass half a moment later, a blazing smile on her face. There was a dead silence in the crowd before the crowd erupted into a fit of the wildest whooping.

The host looked at the two of them before he coughed awkwardly and declared, keeping his stopwatch aside.

"Miss, you took 9.2 seconds. Sir, you took a 9.3. Miss, you win the jackpot." Ishaani and Ranveer both sprang up from the table in shameless joy and hugged each other heartily, their argument from before obliterated by the vodka's effects. They smiled stupidly as the host handed over the million dollar check in her hand, looking less than happy.

Making their way from the casino after 2 hours, during which they managed to cash in another $300,000 dollars from the slot machine and managed to have a hand at every single game that the casino offered, emerging victorious in majority of them, Ranveer and Ishaani managed to make their way from the hall, their speeches slurred and vision constantly doubling.

They made their way round the building, given that there were several other recreations behind the casino while they giggled and constantly chattered about anything and nothing. They were about to walk towards the next building when they collided into another couple.

"Oh we are sooo sorry." Ishaani giggled at them, constantly attempting to pull off a straight face.

"Oh no, it's alright."

"The two of you look sooo happy. What is it?" Ranveer chuckled at them while the couple gave them a knowing look.

"We just got married!"

"Oh good for yooou. Congratulations!" Ranveer gave them a happy look while he lost his balance, Ishaani catching hold of him and laughing.

"And celebraaations!" The couple laughed at their drunken tactics and made their way while Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other, both in a dreamy bliss of alcohol and happiness.

"Is it just me, or are you that happy as well?"

"I'm veeery happy today. Happier than I've ever felt! I feel freee!" Ishaani flung her arms about vertically and swung them around in a flight mode. Ranveer watched her circling him with her making all sorts of noises to indicate that she was a plane. After a few minutes, she caught Ranveer staring at her and laughed at him while her head slumped over his shoulder. He snickered and pulled up her face so that they could see each other eye to eye.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever met. You know that, right?"

"Yee-haw!" Ishaani gave him a dazzling look before her smiled faltered. She caught hold of his shirt, her eyes staring into his beseechingly. "I don't want to be sad anymore. I don't want to worry any more. I just want to be in your arms forever. I just want to be happy."

Ranveer looked at her for several moments, his eyes shutting every few moments and his lips quivering. Finally, managing to string his phrase clearly, he looked at Ishaani, his eyes wide in anticipation.

"Let's get married. Tell me Ishaani, will you marry me?" Ishaani gave him a dumb look before she gave him a droopy grin.

"Yes, I will."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Did We Or Did We Not?**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani opened her eyes slowly as she felt her head throb painfully, aching fit to burst. She could not understand where she was or why her head hurt this much. Her mind felt confused and fuzzy while her vision kept blurring constantly. She shut her eyes and groaned slowly, trying to get a better feel of her surroundings. The only thing that she could make out however was that she was asleep over something funny.

Opening and shutting her eyes quickly as the feeling of nausea overcame her for a few moment, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes fully this time. Her vision was much clearer now, though she felt sluggish. She turned around to get a better look and her elbow jabbed into something while a muffled moan of pain could be heard from somewhere beneath her. Turning herself uncomfortably, her eyes met Ranveer's sleepy ones and the moment seemed to halt.

Ishaani looked at Ranveer in shock, as she saw him asleep bare-chest. She quickly looked at herself and saw that she had a white bathrobe one, instead of her salmon-colored dress from the previous night. Her eyes widened in stunned disbelief and Ranveer's reaction mirrored hers, as they both quickly disentangled themselves from each other.

Ishaani jumped from the bed way too fast and the world spun around her for a couple of minutes. Her head hurt her like several hammers pounding her skull together and she for the life of it, could not understand what had happened to make her head hurt so much. She stared at Ranveer and felt her cheeks grow red in embarrassment. How she and Ranveer came to share the same bed was another mystery to her.

"What the heck just happened?"

"My head feels like it's on fire." Ishaani tried her best to glare at Ranveer, even though her eyes wouldn't open more than a squint.

"This is all your fault!" Ranveer let out an indignant huff while Ishaani crossed her arms.

"My fault! How the hell is this my fault?"

"Had you not pissed me off yesterday, I would not have been in the casino and we wouldn't have gotten this drunk and my head wouldn't hurt this bad." Ishaani threw a pillow at Ranveer blindly, the pillow falling way too far away from where Ranveer was standing.

"Yeah right, blame me for everything! Why don't you even blame me for sharing the bed?" Ishaani nodded her head furiously while Ranveer threw his hands up in the air in mock approval.

"Good point. How on Earth did we end up sleeping in your bed anyway?" Ranveer stuttered for a couple of moments while his mind tried to cook up a passable defense on the basis on his memory.

"How do I know?! The last I remember was winning that funny something-or-the-other challenge. My mind seems all fuzzy after that." Ishaani looked at him sourly before she grudgingly spoke.

"The last I remember was cashing our winnings and having them wired to our bank accounts. After that, _poof_!" Ishaani gestured the point with her hands while Ranveer rolled his eyes at her. After a few minutes of complete silence however, they stared at each other awkwardly before Ishaani initiated conversation once again.

"You don't think that we... that something_ happened_ between us now, do you?"

"No, ofcourse not! Don't be absurd." Ranveer looked at Ishaani defiantly even though his tone seemed slightly hesitant.

"Alright, alright. I was just saying. I just get into a bathrobe like that only now, did I?"

"Even you could have done that." Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other for several minutes before Ranveer spoke, this time his tone confused. "I don't know why, but I have a feeling that you threw up over your dress last night. It's why you changed into the bathrobe."

"Eww... that dress was a favorite of mine! Damn it!" Ranveer gave her a cryptic look while Ishaani looked remorseful at the thought of her dress getting spoilt.

"I warned you last night not to get drinking this much."

"Oh please." Not finding anything else to say as Ishaani found herself staring at Ranveer far more than she should have, she spoke with embarrassment. "And before we initiate any other conversation, please put a shirt on. You're distracting me." Ranveer looked at her awkwardly before quickly making his way up to the wardrobe and pulling out a shirt. Buttoning it up, he turned around to find Ishaani staring at him transfixed.

"What?"

"I, uh... umm, nothing." Ranveer gave Ishaani a questioning look while the latter simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Go and freshen up. We'll discuss this once we're up for it."

Ishaani nodded her head and gave Ranveer half a smile before leaving the room. Ranveer sighed and twiddled the ring on his finger absent-mindedly before he began setting up his mysteriously messy bedroom back into order.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani sat in the living room, silently having a late brunch at 5 in the evening. Ranveer was constantly trying to wrack his memory, so as to get a better idea about what happened the previous night, but in vain. The only thing that Ranveer vaguely managed to remember was being in a church-like place, speaking something to someone, but he could not recollect anything.

Ishaani continuously rubbed her temples in the combined effect of the slight hangover that she still had and a strange worry about what exactly had happened between them. There had been palpable tension between them which could not be denied, but Ishaani knew that both of them were still not ready to take their relationship to the other level, in terms of intimacy.

"This is bad. This is really bad." Ishaani looked at Ranveer solemnly, as the latter had his head in his hands.

"What's bad?"

"How could 5 shots of vodka do this much damage?!" Ishaani gave him an uneasy look as she instinctively spoke.

"I don't think that's the only bit of alcohol you had though. Besides, the two of us could never manage heavy alcohol." Ranveer gave his now-empty plate a brooding look.

"Argh, I hate this uncertainty of not knowing!" Not having managed anything appropriate to console Ranveer with, Ishaani spoke the only thing she was sure she about.

"I think I can safely say that nothing did really happen between us last night. I remember you kind of falling asleep on my shoulders and I brought you to your room and I don't remember anything from then. I think I may have fallen asleep."

"That's not a matter of concern right now." When Ishaani cocked her eyebrow up at him, he rolled his eyes at her. "I mean, I know nothing happened between us in _that_ way, but it's just..."

"What is it?"

"I can't help but push aside the feeling that a big church-like structure was a part of our drunken madness last night." Ishaani gave him a deep look before putting forth her question cautiously.

"Ranveer, do you think that we could have, uh, got married last night?"

"What! Don't be silly." Ranveer did not sound convincing in the least and Ishaani noticed that he had paled considerably.

"I don't know whether you know this, but if Vegas is popular for anything apart from its casinos, its drunk marriages."

"I know that. But I can't remember how on Earth we landed up over there. I mean, I-"

"Ranveer, look at me." Ranveer met gaze with her and Ishaani could see doubt and guilt surface in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"_This_ is wrong. If we really did get married last night, it's wrong. Getting married like this was the last thing on my list right now, when things between us were going so great."

"Sweetheart, calm down." Ranveer looked surprised at the use of the word 'sweetheart' while Ishaani shook her head in exasperation. "I'm not too happy about our predicament as well, but we can't help it. It's not like this happened on purpose. We were really idiots for behaving this stupidly."

"But I-"

"Ranveer, life isn't perfect. And Lord himself knows that ours isn't. Besides, didn't you once say that we were never meant to be perfect, but instead were always meant to complete each other in every single way that made us perfect?"

"This is precisely the reason why I wanted to change it. I wanted this story to be about us, not an epitaph about love, loyalty and friendship." Ishaani laughed at his phrase and Ranveer gave out a grudging smile.

"I don't think people would invest so much time to read our epitaphs. Not really." Ranveer now took Ishaani's hands within his own as he drowned himself in the beauty of her gaze.

"I'm sorry that I was such a jerk last night." Ishaani took out one hand from his grip and cupped his cheek.

"On any other occasion, I would have taken great pleasure in making this apology worth it, but not day. And since you feel this awful, I have a suggestion for the two of us. We can go to the Registrar's office after some time. It just a few blocks from here. We can manage to scrounge some answers of our own."

Ranveer looked up at her, his eyes sparkling for a moment before confusion clouded his features.

"I don't understand." Ishaani gave him a bewildered look.

"What happened?"

"You seem too eerily calm about all this. Here I am, practically going mental in worry and you are-"

"As cool as a cucumber?" Ranveer looked at her suspiciously while Ishaani shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I wasn't going to say that, but yeah, you get my point."

Ishaani got up from the sofa and went to her room. Ranveer looked momentarily abashed and was about to follow her, when Ishaani returned back from the room, her phone in her hand. Ranveer looked at her quizzically as she handed over the phone to him, a video file open on the screen. Ishaani nodded at him affirmatively.

"Watch it."

Ranveer opened the video and instantly realized that the video was from last night. It was shot in what he realized was the Registrar's office, that had the appearance of a cathedral now that he paid closer attention. The video had Ranveer and Ishaani holding hands and giving each other vows of love and togetherness while the Registrar Officer looked surprised, and if Ranveer knew better, a bit emotional as well. Before Ranveer could make a definite view on whether or not they actually married, the video went off.

"Wait. So does that mean we really got married last night?"

"I guess so." Ranveer hid his face in his palms and groaned softly.

"Great, now I feel even more horrible."

"I don't." When Ranveer looked up in her direction, she gave him a firm look. "Ranveer, afterall I've been through, afterall _we've_ been through, I don't believe in certainty anymore. I just want to be with you. I just want to be in love with you. I want my eyes to meet yours the first thing each day I wake up. I want to always keep feeling the weight of your head on my own when you pull me in your arms. I don't want anything else. I just want you. Only _you_. Yes, I admit that I'm not still ready to become your wife again, because being your friend and lover is so much more fun right now. I never wanted a marriage in Vegas, much less a drunk one of which I have no memory. But hey, who knows? Maybe it did happen for a reason. Or maybe it never really happened. Or it's just destiny. So cheer up, alright? We'll go to the Registrar's office and clear this up. You with me?"

Ranveer stared at her dazed, as though he had great amount of difficulty in processing what Ishaani just spoke to him. After a couple of minutes, when Ranveer didn't respond in any way, Ishaani gently touched Ranveer's hand while the latter snapped out from his thoughts. He gave Ishaani a sad smile and gently pulled her in his arms, his heart beating quickly and his arm's shivering slightly.

"I'm so sorry. I was scared all this time that may be you would never come to terms with this and... I'm sorry for being such a prat. I really am."

"I managed to conquer one demon at long last. But hey, don't let this one get to you, alright? This one's not as difficult to conquer as some of the other ones." Ranveer jerked his head and took a deep breath while Ishaani felt a strong feeling of euphoria burst within her heart.

"I don't know about you, but I think we achieved the third base of our relationship." Ishaani hummed in response before she looked up at him questioningly.

"What's that?"

"Communication."

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani stood inside the Registrar's office, waiting for the officer to meet them. The initial wave of anxiety having passed away, Ranveer now sat calmly. Ishaani tapped her feet slowly in anticipation while Ranveer and Ishaani held each other's hand, trying to support the staggering worries of each other.

The officer came out from his cabin and had a surprised look on his face at the sight of both of them.

"Ah, if it isn't the old school love birds again! My, my, to what do I owe this pleasant visit?"

"Uh, if we could talk in your cabin."

"Ofcourse." The officer led them both inside his cabin, which had a very simple, yet elegant look about it. The officer sat behind his desk while he gestured Ranveer and Ishaani to take seats opposite him. Making themselves comfortable, Ranveer looked at the officer. He spoke in a cool, polite tone, camouflaging the strange flutters and jitters that were happening in his stomach.

"Sir, I have an impression that the two of us had been here last night in our embarrassing drunken stupor. What I really did want to know is - did we get married by any chance?" Ranveer and Ishaani waited with baited breath for an answer while the officer smiled at them.

"No." Ranveer and Ishaani both let go of the breath they had been holding unaware before Ishaani muttered slowly, wanting to make sure on more time.

"Sorry?"

"No. The two of you did not get married." Ranveer and Ishaani both heaved a sigh of relief. Ranveer looked stunned for a couple of moments before he asked with confusion evident in his voice.

"We filmed a video last night while we were reciting all types of vows to each other."

"Oh yes, you gave your phone to my secretary, Stacy, to film the marriage. Somehow, once you'll spoke your vows, the two of you simply hugged each other, or rather slumped over each other and thanked me and my secretary for bearing the two of you, took your phone and left from here. The two of you really surprised me actually, and trust me when I say this, I was pretty much delighted when you people didn't marry. I've been working here for the past 15 years and I've had all sorts of people come here and get married, but you two are something different altogether."

Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other a happy glance while they thanked the officer graciously. Leaving the office, Ranveer and Ishaani hugged each other happily, all their spirits returning back to them at the confirmation of their not being married in such a harried state.

* * *

Now that they were certain that they weren't married in such a drunken state, Ranveer and Ishaani eased up considerably, laughing at their drunken antics from what memory could provide them in its and bits.

Dinner was a happy affair as Ranveer and Ishaani dined at one of the restaurants in the hotel. Their cheerful nature from before returned back while they happily discussed plans about visiting the remaining places on their bucket list along with Ranveer's birthday, given that the next day was his birthday eve.

Ranveer and Ishaani decided to go to sleep early, given that they were still drained out from all their exertions from the previous day. They were currently seated on the loveseat in the living room of their suite while Ishaani put her head on his shoulder. Ranveer scooped her in his arms and sighed contentedly.

"Ranveer, can I ask you something?

"Anything."

"Had we have gotten married last night, would you have regretted it?" Ranveer looked at Ishaani deep in thought before he honestly replied.

"It's a yes and no." Ishaani looked at him curiously and he smiled at her.

"No, because being married to you has been the best thing that ever happened to me."

"I'd love to disagree on this." Ranveer looked at Ishaani and laughed.

"Ah, when you see it that way, our marriage has been nothing short of a nightmare. But still, I'd still say that it's the best thing that happened to me." Ishaani smiled at him sweetly while Ranveer returned the smile with equal grace.

And why is it a yes?"

"Regarding that, it's because I've always wanted our marriage to be a memorable moment. The most prized memory of my life. And being married like this with no recollection of it, except for the video where we were slurring more than speaking, I'd certainly have regretted it." Ishaani stared at him hard for several minutes before she relinquished her hold on his shirt.

"You make me fall in love with you every single day, you know that right?" Ranveer kissed her on her forehead and Ishaani sighed.

"We are finally having the days of our life now, aren't we?" Ishaani took his hand in her own and kissed them slowly.

"I've been treasuring them with a lot of care."

Ranveer and Ishaani shared a meaningful look, as both of them got to their feet clumsily. They gave each other one final hug before making their way to their rooms, a content smile on their faces.

While Ranveer fell asleep that night, happy that his plans for the next step of the relationship were not foiled, Ishaani could only focus her mind on the task of how she was going to give Ranveer his birthday gift the next day at midnight.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: The Sensations of Breathtaking Fireworks**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer woke up the next morning, a bright smile on his face. Ever since they had come to Vegas, Ishaani had been heavily hinting on giving him a memorable gift and he could not help but feel giddy in excitement, and curious as his birthday drew closer. Tonight was the eve of his birthday and he felt joyful that he was spending the day with Ishaani.

He got up slowly and made his way to the living room. Ishaani was already seated on the sofa, their bucket list in her hand along with several brochures laid along the table. Ishaani's hair fell on her face in beautiful curtains while the baby pink frock dress she had on made her look more stunning. He simply crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe, admiring the radiant look the room had with Ishaani's presence while thinking about how he had almost given up on a life without her.

He did not know for how long he stood like that admiring her before Ishaani looked up at him, her face turning into a joyful one at his sight.

"Hey there, beautiful."

"Hi there! For how long have you been standing over there?"

"I don't know really." Ishaani smiled at him and shook her head while Ranveer ran his hands over his hair in embarrassment.

"Had a good night's sleep?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Looking inquisitively at all the brochures as Ishaani began to clear them out from the table, he cleared his throat softly. "What's all that you've got there?"

"Nothing special really. Just brochures from here and there. I was just going through our bucket list and realized that we just have three more places to see - the aquarium, Adventuredome and the hot air balloon ride."

"We'll leave the balloon ride for last."

"Sounds alright to me. So give a quick shot now. Where do you want to go today - Adventuredome or Aquarium?"

"I think we'll go to the Aquarium today. We can go to Adventuredome tomorrow. It'll be fun to celebrate my birthday sitting on rollercoaster rides."

"Whichever way you like it." Ishaani walked over to him and kissed him on his cheek, as Ranveer enveloped her into his arms. Separating herself after some time, Ishaani made her way to her room before turning back and speaking playfully.

"Get dressed quickly. I have a slight change in plan."

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani sat in the jeep as their driver had halted the car in front of the restricted territory. Ranveer and Ishaani quickly jumped down from the jeep, their cameras in tow, as a lion crossed their view. Ishaani looked at it meekly while Ranveer cautiously raised the camera once and snapped. The lion roared at them and Ishaani quivered, but she knew that they were safe, given that a fence was there between the lion and themselves.

Ishaani had decided to bring Ranveer along to see the Natural Sanctuary. Both of them now stood, Ishaani in a loose yellow top and grey half pants and Ranveer in a grey shirt and military three-fourth pant. Both of them had their hats and sunglasses on to protect themselves from the sweltering heat of the day.

After passing through several habitations consisting giraffes, rhinos, hippos, tigers, peacocks, lemurs, elephants and several other animals, Ishaani and Ranveer now headed towards the orchid section that was one-fourth mile away from the sanctuary area. Seeing the different cultivations of fruits and vegetables, the shade of the green house extremely soothing, they next headed towards the Aquarium, a broad smile on their faces.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani entered their suite, Ranveer yawning widely while Ishaani looked excited.

"Wow, that Aquarium was so beautiful! Worth every penny of the praise it has received. This was certainly an exciting day today."

"The day has just begun." When Ranveer cocked his eyebrows at her, Ishaani simply shrugged her shoulders and gave him a mysterious smile. Instead, Ishaani took the conversation back to the point it started at. "I told you that the sanctuary was a good idea."

"But I really feel exhausted. I think I'm going to call it a night for today. We do have to get up early tomorrow if we want to make it on time for Adventuredome."

"Ranveer, don't you think that you're forgetting something?"

"What's that?"

"It's your birthday eve, you idiot! How can you sleep on your birthday eve?!"

"Oh yeah. Damn, it completely skipped out from my mind." Ranveer mentally slapped himself for having forgotten about it. Somehow, he still felt sleep block his senses in spite of his excitement for his birthday.

"So there is no way you are going to sleep."

"Oh alright, alright. Let's do one thing. Why don't we freshen up and change out from these clothes? It's just 8pm anyways. Midnight is still pretty far."

"Yeah, that's sounds alright to me."

15 minutes later, Ishaani sat on the bed wiping her hair, when Ranveer entered her room. Ishaani smiled and beckoned him towards her while Ranveer obliged. He sat on the bed, staring at Ishaani deeply for a few minutes before his eyes began to droop. Chuckling slowly, Ishaani pulled Ranveer towards her, so that his head was eventually on her lap.

He smiled at her as a common understanding passed between them while he felt Ishaani's fingers stroke his hair and trace light circles on his forehead, her fingers working like a charm. He could only stare at her lovingly before she kissed the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes gently with her hand. Ranveer felt his mind sink into a blissful abyss before sleep finally claimed him.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Ranveer felt something hit his face with full force and he sprang up from the bed in shock, feeling dizzy suddenly because of getting up that fast. After a few moments however, he realized that the thing which hit his face was a pillow and he could hear Ishaani laughing at him from somewhere nearby. He turned his head angrily in the direction of her voice, mentally making a note to give her a good piece of his mind before he felt the breath knocked out of him at her sight.

Ishaani stood before him in a sleeveless, body-fitting black top and an above knee-length crisp black-and-white pleat skirt that left a bit of her torso exposed. Her hair was pinned from one side, left open in waves. Ranveer could not have seen anyone looking more beautiful than her in that moment and Ishaani gave him a mesmerizing smile, happy to see the desired effect that her attire had over Ranveer.

"Wow… you look... wow!" Ranveer looked hypnotized and Ishaani threw another pillow at him that managed to make Ranveer snap out of his reverie.

"I gave you three hours for a power nap. Now go get dressed up into something decent. We're running over a tight schedule here."

Ranveer looked confused but obliged nonetheless. He quickly went back to his room and freshened up, his sleep driven away by Ishaani's breathtaking attire. Opening his wardrobe quickly, his eyes fell over a new piece of clothing that lay there, along with a note on it. Opening the note quickly, Ranveer realized that it was written in Ishaani's handwriting.

_I hope you like it. Just wear the shirt and pant and come over to the terrace. I'll be waiting over there for you._

_With all my love,_

_Ishaani_

Ranveer removed the plastic jacket from over the hanger and gasped. Inside was a beautiful tuxedo, its linen rich and certainly made of extremely fine and elegant material. Removing the coat, his eyes fell over the shirt and pant and he smiled. He felt a nervous jittering in his stomach as he admired the attire that Ishaani had selected for him. He realized that the attire was tailored so that it fit him perfectly and he smiled.

Quickly putting on the shirt and pant in a tuck-in fashion, he admired his reflection in the mirror, a happy smile etched over his features for having created the desired effect that he was certain Ishaani had been wanting. He could not understand what Ishaani was up to, but he now felt his excitement mounting steadily.

After 15 minutes, Ranveer made his way to the terrace of the hotel. He had never been up to that part of the place before, which made him feel a giddy happiness in anticipation of what really awaited him. Shutting his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, he exited the lift and walked along the corridor before entering the terrace.

Ranveer felt the ground from beneath him his feet skid as his eyes met the staggering beauty in front of him. The terrace was a very cozy one, its view overlooking the whole of Vegas, along with several sets of couches and tables arranged in a symmetrical shape along the sides of the terrace wall. The balcony of the terrace was free of any tables and the railings had light yellow lights glowing from within.

The entire terrace had an in-floor purple lighting, which made the terrace glow beautifully. Ranveer walked on ahead and noticed that the view only kept getting better, with the whole of Vegas before his eyes lit up stunningly with its night lights. Ishaani however, was nowhere to be seen.

Ranveer walked straight ahead towards the balcony, his mind in a bliss. He stared at the view ahead with an overwhelming emotion before he felt a silky whisper in his ear.

"Liking it so far?" Ranveer spun around and saw Ishaani giving him a hard look, a strange fire dancing in her eyes. Ranveer pulled her into his arms and hugged her while she hugged him back.

"I'm really loving it."

"Good, because there's more coming on the way." Ranveer smiled at her admiringly.

"You look gorgeous today."

"You look just as desirable as I'd imagined you to look in this." Ranveer kissed her on her head and Ishaani gently separated herself from their embrace.

Quickly looking at her watch, Ishaani saw that there were still three minutes to midnight. Walking over to one of the couches, she picked up a gun and walked back to Ranveer while the latter gave her an unsure look.

"Do you intend to kill me by any chance?" Ishaani rolled her eyes at him and he chuckled nervously.

"Don't act stupid. You are supposed to be getting a year older, not dumber. Besides, this is a flare gun." Before Ranveer could say anything, Ishaani aimed the gun towards the sky and fired it. Ten seconds later, a shower of green light could be seen in the sky for five seconds before the light disappeared. Ranveer gave Ishaani a bewildered look now.

"Sunny, what are you up to?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Just stand facing the view." Ranveer did as he was told and Ishaani stood by his side, eyeing her watch attentively.

"Ah! Let's start the countdown now. It's now almost a minute to midnight. Just follow my lead when I start counting."

"Alright." Ranveer felt nervous and anxious alike as he saw the excitement on Ishaani's face. Ishaani shut her eyes, making a small prayer in her heart that her surprise would turn out just the way she wanted it. Ishaani opened her eyes and took Ranveer's hand in her own and interlocked her fingers within his own. She gave him an eager smile before speaking with excitement.

"Just keep looking straight. Follow me when I start the count." Ranveer looked ahead towards the magnificent look in front of him as he heard Ishaani say '10'.

"9."

"8."

"7."

"6."

"5."

"4."

"3."

"2."

"1."

"Happy Birthday, Ranveer!" Ishaani pulled Ranveer into a hug and whispered hurriedly and excitedly. "Look up!"

Ranveer turned his attention upwards just in time, as a shower of green and golden fireworks broke out in the sky. Ranveer looked amazed while Ishaani had her concentration torn between staring that Ranveer's expressions and the fireworks.

The first display of fireworks barely having gotten over, another show of five separate fireworks hit the sky - a glittering red and blue, a dancing green, a fountain yellow and pink, a shimmering silver and gold and a seven-colored shower of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink and purple. Ranveer stared transfixed, his eyes greedily drinking in the sight of the fireworks with a child-like look while Ishaani stared at him happily.

She knew that watching such an extravagant show of fireworks were always a part of Ranveer's fancy, something he had always longed to see as a child, but never got to see. Ishaani saw a single tear escape Ranveer's eye unconsciously, and she knew in that moment that Ranveer has just seen his fantasy come true, a fantasy that he thought would never come true just because it was far beyond his reach.

The five different spells of fireworks ended and with it, another spell hit the air with blue and purple sparks, occurring atleast in 5 different spots in the air before it disappeared and then another round of the same firework was repeated again. The moment the firework display came to an end, Ranveer turned to look at Ishaani, who was already staring at him transfixed.

"Ishaani, I-"

"Shhh. Don't get distracted. There's more on the way."

Ranveer widened his eyes in surprise and Ishaani looked at the sky. Ranveer looked up again and a red and golden shower of fireworks broke out in the air, forming a star-like pattern. Several star-like patterns broke out in different colors after the first one and Ranveer stared at them enthralled. The night fell silent after the final star pattern hit the sky and Ranveer look mesmerized.

"This is so-"

"Wait for it. The climax is yet to come." Ranveer gave Ishaani and overwhelmed look and turned to look at the sky for the third time. The next moment however, Ranveer felt his heart skip a beat as dozens of fireworks hit the sky together,, forming several chrysanthemums, fountains, beehives, brocades, falling leaves, flying fish, peonies and palm trees in succession for two whole minutes.

The night fell calm after the final display and Ranveer hugged Ishaani tightly, his mind buzzing with all the firework beauty.

"This is the best birthday gift you could have ever given me."

"I'm glad that you loved it this much." Ranveer looked at Ishaani passionately, but he noticed that her eyes still that that gleam that indicated the essence of mystery.

"What happened?"

"Actually, this was not quite the gift I was hinting at."

"What do you mean?"

"There is still something more."

"Wait, do you mean to say that you are yet to give me my true birthday gift, which is supposed to top the fireworks?"

"Something like that, yes." Ranveer looked pleasantly surprised, his mind too satiated to think about what his other birthday present could be.

"Oh my! But don't you think that you've kind of set the bar way too high for the other gift?"

"Yeah, but I still think that you'll like the other gift better." Ishaani stared at Ranveer confidently while Ranveer could see her eyes shining even more.

"Alright. So tell me more about this other gift of yours."

"Okay. You see, I've been wanting to give you something memorable for your birthday. Something that you'd always remember me by."

"The fireworks did the job just fine." Ishaani chuckled while Ranveer had his arms securely around her waist. Ishaan felt a tingling sensation every time Ranveer's fingers made innocent contact with skin on the exposed part of her back, feeling an emotion stronger than she could explain. Turning her mind to the task on hand with great difficulty, Ishaani continued.

"They would have sufficed, but I wanted to give you something more _personal_, you see."

"I wonder what you found me."

"That's the thing again. I didn't. I couldn't find anything that I could buy you as a keepsake or a souvenir."

"So wait, you didn't get me anything?"

"Not really, no."

"So what do you intend to give me then?" Ishaan could see the confusion lurking in Ranvier's eyes along with something on the lines of a disappointed look. Ishaani smiled at put her arms around his neck.

"I thought of something perfect. Want to give it a guess?" Ranveer gave her a puzzled look as Ishaani looked at him wide-eyes, a mischievous glint in them.

"I can't think what you must have got in store for me."

"Really?" Ishaani tilted her head on one side, as she felt the same tension mount between them again.

"Really." Ranveer still gave her a confused look and she smiled suggestively.

"No problem. You'll know soon enough."

Before Ranveer could speak anything, Ishaani gently pressed her lips against his, a sweet smile on her face. Ranveer secured his hold on her waist and pulled her closer to him, eliminating what little gap they had between them while he lips met her own in a satisfactory grin. Ishaani savored Ranveer's lips with great satisfaction, as she felt Ranveer's hand making fevered contact with her back, which sent goosebumps through her skin and a heightened excitement through her body. If Ranveer felt that the fireworks he had seen a few minutes ago had blown his mind apart, he certainly knew now that he had been wrong. A different set of fireworks erupted within him altogether as he now had one hand in Ishaani's hair while his lips made heated contact with her own, their pace getting quicker and hungrier after their gentle beginning while Ishaani's nails traced their way over his shirt in painful pleasure, that only made his touch over her back more intense. Ranveer now felt a new flow of emotions break within him, as he and Ishaani now fought for dominance, Ishaani's fingers locked in his hair and his own over her cheek while they swayed lightly over their blissful encounter.

Separating for air after some time, Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other, a dazed look on their faces. Ishaani kissed him once more before she whispered.

"Happy Birthday! I hope you liked the gift."

"You were right, this was indeed the best gift of my life." Ranveer smiled at Ishaani as her cheeks turned crimson.

"I'm happy that you liked it." Ishaani bit her lips slowly while Ranveer gave her a loving look.

"Well atleast I did keep up to my word. I told you I'd kiss you in front of the whole of Vari. Well, it's not Vari, but Vegas did just fine." Ishaani laughed at him while he pulled her into his arms once again. Holding hands, they left the terrace together, their minds still lost of the bliss of their first true kiss, the night etched into their memory forever.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: More Birthday Surprises**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer came over to their floor lobby and Ishaani gave Ranveer a mischievous smile. Ranveer on the other hand, gave her an unsure look.

"Sunny, don't tell me you have a third surprise in tow now."

"It's not that much of a surprise actually." Ranveer stared at Ishaani for a few moments and could see that she was uncertain.

"Are you nervous?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulders and gave him an unsure look.

"I don't know, I just feel... anxious. I just hope that you like it."

"If you've decided to surprise me, I'm sure that it must be good." Ishaani gave Ranveer a reassuring smile and brought out a blindfold that she had tied on her hand.

"Turn around then, I want to blindfold you." Ranveer cocked his eyebrow up in question while she impatiently put her hand on her hip.

"Why?"

"I want to play a game." Ranveer threw her a suspicious look and she returned the same innocent eyes as reply.

"What game?"

"Feeling the aura. And you know, this time there is something interesting as well. Guess all the things correctly and you will have an extra surprise gift as well." Ranveer gave her a shrewd look and smirked.

"Why do I get the feeling that this surprise is totally going to be worth it, especially that extra gift you have for me?" Ishaani smiled notoriously as she threw the blindfold over Ranveer's eyes. Guiding him slowly towards their room, she opened the door and pushed inside.

Ranveer at once felt a delicious aroma enter his nose, something he knew that was impossible to find in this part of the world, yet the smile that he was getting has to be it. He felt astounded as he asked Ishaani slowly.

"_Samosas?" _Ishaani smiled and replied.

"Made them myself." Ranveer felt his jaw drop him surprise and he turned around in the direction of her voice.

"Wait, _what_?"

"Yeah. What do you think we have a kitchen in the suite for?" Ranveer clicked his tongue impatiently while Ishaani laughed at him openly.

"But how did you learn to cook?"

"I did need to eat something to survive for three years, you know. And outside food was getting boring. So I learnt how to cook."

"Wow..." Ranveer laughed before he could stop himself and Ishaani gave him a dirty look, even though she knew he could not see her.

"Laugh like that one more time and I swear-"

"Alright, alright. I guessed one thing right. What's next?" Ranveer cut her statement abruptly, afraid to get on the receiving end of an angry Ishaani. Ishaani smiled in apparent satisfaction and continued.

"Well, there's a bit of change in this game. Back in the library, you made me guess things based on the aura. Here, I make you guess things based on aroma." Ranveer let out a cry of indignant disapproval while Ishaani tried to control her laughter.

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"Everything's fair in love and war. And it's a bit of both over here." Ranveer smiled at her statement sweetly and Ishaani chuckled nervously.

"Hmmm. Well, alright. Getting back on task." Ranveer sniffed the air and spoke softly. "Apart from the yummy samosas, I smell something very flowery about the room. Rose petals about?"

"Very good, that's two in your pocket." Ranveer smiled happily and Ishaani couldn't help but stare at him affectionately. "Two down, four more to go."

"Oho! That was quick. Okay." Ranveer walked ahead blindly and suddenly felt something cold and creamy brush against his trailing fingers. He felt Ishaani steer him away roughly from it but it was too late.

"That's the kitchen, silly. You don't want to be eating those samosas right now."

"Oh wait a moment. I felt my hand touch something cold. Is that ice-cream?" Ishaani groaned inwardly and replied grudgingly.

"Damn it. Yes." Ranveer gave a pleasant look and tried to guess astutely.

"Then there must be tea alongside as well?"

"4 down, two to go." Ranveer did a fist-pump in the air as he felt Ishaani growl softly at the things being guessed so quickly.

"Oh yeah. Who's Mr. Awesome now?" Ranveer felt a smack behind his head and sobered down instantly. "Ow! Alright, sorry." Ishaani rolled her eyes at him and spoke cunningly.

"Want to guess the remaining two things?"

"Oh yeah." Ishaani lead Ranveer ahead for some time before she twirled him around twice. Ranveer felt a something funny hit his face. In that moment, he managed to get a sniff of what had hit him and he quickly turned around and asked tentatively.

"Balloons and streamers?" Ishaani threw her hands up in the air in frustration while Ranveer remained unaware of her reaction. Ishaani replied in an exasperated voice.

"Oh yeah. Damn, you are really good at this!"

"I know I am." Another smack on his back got him working again while Ishaani rolled her eyes at him.

"Last one and you get your surprise gift." Ranveer's tone suddenly turned silky and he spoke huskily.

"Okay. Now I'll be taking a bit of detour over here, given that I want my gift really badly. Is it a cake?" Ishaani quickly caught on to his tone, and smiled seductively to herself.

"Yes. You win." Throwing his fist in the air, Ranveer was about to pull the blindfold off, when Ishaani caught hold of his hand. "Wait, don't you want your surprise?"

"Yes."

"Then keep the blindfold on." Ranveer suddenly felt Ishaani leading him backwards, until he felt his back hit a wall.

"Ishaani, what are you up to?" Ishaani stared at his flustered face and spoke softly, her voice a silky whisper.

"What happened, _sweetie_? I'm just giving you your gift." She could feel Ranveer giving her a charming look through the blindfold and could see his lips turning into a playful smile.

"I can feel something good coming my way." Ranveer now gave a very mischievous look in Ishaani's direction and Ishaani put Ranveer's arms over her waist while she put her own over his shoulders.

"Then just keep feeling." Ishaani crashed her lips over his own, their lips meeting and parting away like old friends meeting regularly. This time, Ishaani and Ranveer felt much more at ease and kissed each other with a fluency that came with easy grace. Ranveer let his lips wander about Ishaani's neck daringly while Ishaani simply let him continue his ministrations before Ranveer came back up and claimed her lips once again. Smiling against his lips, Ishaani gave him one, final peck before they separated and Ishaani pulled off the blindfold from Ranveer's eyes.

Ranveer gave her an overwhelmed look and stuttered for a few moments.

"Whoa... that went better than I expected it to go." Ishaani gave him a desirable look and spoke in a meaningful tone.

"Don't get your hopes all up mister. You are not getting any more surprises tonight." Ranveer pouted his lips in mock disapproval and Ishaani stuck out her tongue in his direction.

"Hmmm, that's a pity. But no problem. I think I'm kind of dazed with the ones that you've given me already." Both of them smiled at each other and Ranveer stared about the room with an impressive smile on. The entire room was strewn with rose petals, and balloons and streamers hung about gracefully that made the room look even more magnificent.

"Let's cut the cake. Then we have our little party as well." Ranveer smiled at her and moved towards the center of the living room where the cake stood. It was a fruit cake, Ranveer's favorite flavor. Ishaani lit the candles up and began singing the happy birthday song and Ranveer smiled and blew the candles, shutting his eye in a silent prayer. Cutting the cake, he fed Ishaani a piece of it and Ishaani did the same.

Ishaani quickly cleared up the cake from the living room and returned back from the kitchen after ten minutes with a tray carrying a plate of samosas, two cups of tea and two bowls of ice-cream. Setting it on the table, she sat down and offered Ranveer the plate of samosas while Ranveer happily accepted one. Taking a bite from it, Ishaani stared at Ranveer's face keenly before he gave her an astounded look.

"These are amazing! I can't believe you actually made them!"

"Well, I'm glad that I learnt to cook well enough."

"But I don't understand. When did you make them?"

"When you were asleep."

"How come I didn't get the smell?"

"I made sure to camouflage the smell with the air freshener. I'd given the bell boy and the housekeeping to make the plate of samosas warm from the fridge when they came over to decorate the room."

"I must say. That was some ingenious planning on your side. You've really set the bar of celebrating birthdays really high."

"Ah, there's nothing like that. It's just, three years back, it was always you who took the initiative for surprises and stuff. I wanted to break the trend." Ranveer smiled at her and spoke gently.

"This story has been pretty interesting of ours up until now, hasn't it?"

"Oh yes."

"Speaking of which, when did you learn to cook such wonderful food?"

"Well, just like you, I too managed my low time with cooking." Ranveer remembered the time when he'd made Ishaani soup and chuckled slowly.

"Well, let's just say I loved the surprise and even more, these samosas. They're indeed one of the best I've eaten in ages. But why did you think that I won't like this surprise?" Ishaani gave him a guilty look.

"I don't know, I just hopes that it would not remind you of darker times."

"Now, now, Sunny, you are forgetting the fifth rule in my first aid. Never re-open old wounds."

"Oh yes. My bad." Ishaani gave Ranveer a sheepish look and they silently ate the samosas, sipping along their cup of tea. After 10 minutes, they took their bowls of butterscotch ice-cream and began eating spoonfuls. Ranveer now turned his attention towards Ishaani and raised his eyebrow in question.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you get the idea of this whole snack party?" Ishaani looked slightly embarrassed and spoke quickly.

"Back when we were kids, Kaka would always bring you samosas for your birthday and Kaki would make the loveliest cup of tea to go with it. That used to be your birthday gift. And a cup of ice-cream with me the cherry on the cake. So I though, might as well have Kaka and Kaki's love and blessings on your birthday in an indirect way. You haven't met them in three years but you've fulfilled all your duties as a son even from this long a distance. So I only felt it right for you to have a part of their love and blessings on this day. Afterall, our parents' blessings and love will always remain unparalleled."

Ranveer stared at her stunned for a moment before he spoke slowly.

"I just realized something." Ishaani threw him a confused look.

"What is that?"

"I just fell in love with you all over again." Ishaani smiled and Ranveer took her hand in his own while Ishaani rested her head over his shoulder.

"Did you like your surprises?"

"Totally. And just so you know, you are the most amazing person I've ever met. Insanely mental at times, yes, but still amazing." Ishaani separated herself and gave him a playful punch on his shoulder while she took away the empty dishes and deposited them in the sink. Sitting back on the sofa, she let Ranveer cuddle her and rubbed her head over his chest comfortably, a small yawn escaping her lips.

"Thank you for making this day so special."

"_Always_."

Ishaani gave Ranveer a peck on his lips and grinned goofily while Ranveer gave her a loving look. Settling her head back over his chest, she sighed contentedly and shut her eyes as Ranveer gently began stroking her head. He continued to stroke her head for some time before he knew that she had fallen asleep. Letting out a yawn of his own, he cuddled Ishaani securely within his arms before he felt his interrupted sleep reclaim him once again.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Adventure Thrills**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer opened his eyes softly as he felt the light hitting his eyes steadily. He shielded his eyes as the powerful light blared his vision and blinked his eyes irritably for a few seconds before he finally managed to push them open. He realized that he was now sleeping on the sofa, a blanket him and his head on a pillow, even though he distinctly remembered falling asleep with Ishaani in his arms, while he was seating.

He looked around and saw Ishaani sitting on the armchair opposite, a warm smile on her face and staring at him adoringly.

"Hey there."

"Hey."

"How long have you been sitting here?"

"From quite some time. Was getting bored, so I thought I'd sit and simply look at you sleeping." Ranveer smiled at her.

"You were right. Waking up to see your eyes stare into mine is indeed the most beautiful sight I can get up to." Ishaani got up and sat by Ranveer's side. Stroking his hair slowly, she smiled.

"Happy Birthday."

"Thank you."

"Don't you know the rules of friendship?"

"Oh, I do. But having seen life like the way I have, there is one thing that's certain. 'Thank you' and 'Sorry' play the most important part in any relationship. And it's true indeed." Ishaani shared a meaningful look with him.

"You've made a good point." Ranveer shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly while he looked around the room puzzled.

"What time is it?"

"It's 9."

"Yikes! Weren't we supposed to leave from here at 9?" Ishaani shook her head.

"Yes, but I asked the driver to collect us at 11. We did have a pretty tiring day yesterday and a late night. So I wanted you to have a good nap." Ranveer smiled at her as she got up. "So get up and do get ready. I've prepared your breakfast and kept in on the platform. Have it."

"But where are you going?"

"I need to get some formalities sorted out."

* * *

Ishaani went down to the hotel reception and met Mr. Kovalski, while he looked happily at her.

"How were the fireworks, ma'am? I hope they were satisfactory."

"Oh they were very good. So were the room arrangements."

"I'm happy that we could be of help to you."

"I've got you the payment for the fireworks and the extra arrangements." Mr. Kovalski accepted the cheque from her happily, while she nodded her head. Ishaani walked around the hotel for some time, admiring some of the antiques placed for display while she mentally made a note to herself to check out some antique pieces for the house back in Vari.

Walking back towards the room, her mind wandered across several unimportant topics, before the lift opened and she made her way to the room. Opening it with the keycard, she entered the room and kept the card on the side table before she heard a loud voice. Keeping silent for a couple of minutes, she realized that Ranveer was talking to someone or rather arguing with someone.

Ishaani had a strong urge to enter Ranveer's room and see who was he talking to in such a loud voice, but somehow her feet took her towards her own room by instinct.

Ishaani sat on her bed as she could hear Ranveer's muffled voice from across the room and she could sense the pain and exasperation in it and shut her eyes. She could hear Ranveer's voice for another ten minutes before the room fell completely silent.

Ishaani waited silently while she could feel her heart beating irregularly after hearing the pain in Ranveer's eyes. She hated the fact that Ranveer had to have this much pain in his voice on his birthday and couldn't imagine what had got him this worked up.

She simply stared through the window that gave her a dazzling view and sighed. She stared ahead absent-mindedly as her mind drowned itself in the sight ahead of her and she took to staring at the ring that shone brighter than anything else in the room.

She didn't know for how long she stood like that before she heard Ranveer's voice from outside the door. She could sense that there was a false cheerfulness in the way he called out her name and she turned around, a sad smile on her face.

Ranveer saw her expression and immediately knew that something was off. He entered the room and walked up to Ishaani while she stood rooted, staring at him deeply.

"When did you come back? I didn't come to know."

"I came half an hour back."

"Oh." Ishaani saw the false smile fade away from Ranveer's face and with it came a worried look.

"Ishaani, I-"

"It's okay, Ranveer. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Ranveer pursed his lips for a few moments, his eyes turbulent with several emotions. Ishaani took his hand within her own and kissed it.

"I understand. So let it be. When you feel like it, you can tell me."

Ranveer simply stared at her for a couple of moments before he felt himself fall into Ishaani's arms. Ishaani held him firmly while she could feel his body shivering slightly over hers.

She gently stroked Ranveer's hair and he remained stationery in her arms for a couple of minutes before he finally pulled himself away from their embrace.

"I'm sorry, Ishaani."

"What for?"

"For spoiling your mood. I didn't mean to, but it just-"

"Shhh." Ishaani placed a finger over his lip and she stared at him soulfully. "It's alright to be weak at times. It's alright to let your guard down. You've been strong for far too long." Ranveer gave her a painful look. "So don't apologize. If anything, try to come to terms with it. Denial can only help you this much."

Ranveer stared at Ishaani and hugged her once again, this time taking her into his arms. The warm sunlight enveloped them in its warp as they stood there trying to be each other's strength and pillar of support, their hearts beating and bleeding as one. After a few minutes, they separated and Ranveer gave Ishaani a small smile. Ishaani stroked his cheek lovingly and spoke.

"Did you have your breakfast?"

"No."

"Go and have it. I've made you a French omelet. You won't find anything better than it." Ranveer smiled as he interlocked his fingers within hers and led her to the kitchen.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani now entered the premises of Adventuredome, a cheerful smile on their faces. Ranveer's mood that returned back to its original cheerfulness and Ishaani heaved a sigh of relief mentally.

Walking around for some time after sitting in some basic rides, Ranveer and Ishaani came and stood in front of the Canyon Blaster roller coaster. Ranveer and Ishaani stood excitedly in line as they waited for their turn. Ishaani had the brochure of Adventuredome in her hand, the page highlighted with the Canyon Blaster. She read it aloud to Ranveer as they stood in the huge line patiently.

"_It features back-to-back vertical loops and corkscrews, and ends with a helix inside the mountain that takes up a large portion of the park. It is proclaimed as the world's largest indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew coaster_."

"Whoa."

"Oh yeah. There's more. _Canyon Blaster features two six-car trains that seat four passengers in two rows per car_."

"This sounds pretty impressive."

"This is going to be fun." Ranveer and Ishaani stood in the line for another 15 minutes before their turn finally came and they got the entrance to the ride.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani both left the ride after nearly 10 minutes, shaken while their head spun dizzily. Ishaani caught on to Ranveer's shoulder as support, feeling as though she could throw up any moment.

Taking a seat by a bench for 15 minutes until they found their heads returning back to normal, Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other blankly for several minutes before Ishaani initiated the conversation.

"Wow. That ride was... wow."

"I still feel my head spinning."

"But it was awesome!" Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other an awestruck look before the former replied.

"Undoubtedly."

Five hours later, Ranveer and Ishaani were moving to the fair side of Adventuredome after sitting in El Loco (a custom S&amp;S coaster, took the place of the splash down pool of the Rim Runner ride), Disc'O (A ride where passengers sit on a spinning disk which rides along a half pipe track), Inverter (Ride that spins riders upside down), Sling Shot (a 100' tall free fall ride that shoots riders upwards with 4G's of acceleration) and Road Runner (a Mini-Himalaya that gives a wild trip going forwards and backwards).

Ishaani and Ranveer went hand in hand as they reached the newly-opened pier section of Adventuredome and stared at the several stalls that sat there with various games ready to be played.

Ishaani and Ranveer went over randomly to a stall and both of them gasped simultaneously. In front of them stood a life size Iron Man suit and Ranveer stared at it enthralled. Ishaani recoiled slightly and caught Ranveer's arm harder.

"What is that!?"

"Just wait a mo'." Ranveer walked up to the stall owner with Ishaani in tow and asked him with curious interest. "Sir, is this Iron Man suit out here for real?"

"Yes sir." Ranveer's face brightened up considerably

"Awesome! What is the game about?"

"It's a shooting game sir. There are three box cases with a pyramid of 15 cups each. Knock out all 45 cups in three shots and the suit is yours." Ranveer felt a frown crease his forehead as he mentally did the math.

"Isn't that really difficult?" The shop owner gave smirked.

"That's the catch sir. It's rarely ever possible. Besides, the suit is a rare collectible. Hence the game."

"What if you get 44 cups?"

"No. You need an exact 45. I'll gave you the range limits. 10 cups, you get a Tom and Jerry collectible. From 11-20, a Hulk collectible. From 21-30, a Disney one. From 31-40, an Omnimatrix prototype. And from 41-44, a Donald Duck life size collectible and if you hit the jackpot, the suit is all yours."

Ranveer and Ishaani shared a look. Ranveer looked excited and whispered.

"I'm so getting that suit for myself!" Ishaani smacked his shoulder and rolled her eyes simultaneously.

"Don't be ridiculous! You can't carry such a huge suit around with us. Besides, that things looks frightening."

"Oh c'mon, don't be such a bad sport! It's my birthday. Atleast I can get myself a lovable gift!"

"And how the hell do you think we are going to get this past the customs?"

"Duh, I'll send it out by courier. I'll write Martin the instructions. He'll know what to do."

"Don't get your hopes so high. Getting 45/45 is impossible, unless you're a sharp shooter or something." Ishaani gave him a sarcastic look and Ranveer gritted his teeth.

"Are you _challenging_ me?" Ishaani stuck her tongue out.

"You got it. I'm having my bets on that Donald Duck collectible. It's pretty cute." Ranveer made a mock nauseated face while Ishaani put her hand on her hip.

"Donald Duck? _Seriously_?"

"Oh please. It's atleast better than that piece of _trash_." Ranveer gave Ishaani a scandalized look.

"You didn't!"

"Oh, I did alright!"

"Fine. You play yours, I'll play mine." Ishaani gave Ranveer an agonizing look, while Ranveer turned his face away.

"What?! I don't know how to shoot! I've always had terrible aim!"

"Well that's not my problem. You want the Donald Duck collectible, you have to earn it." Ishaani gave Ranveer a dark look and turned her attention to the shopkeeper.

"Give me the gun." Ishaani's tone was sharp and the owner hurriedly handed her the gun, afraid to get on her wrong side. Ishaani gave Ranveer an angry look before she took aim and fired one shot at every box in rapid succession. A minute later, Ranveer and the owner stared the cups, their mouths hanging open as Ishaani had managed to knock out all the cups, save for two.

"Whoa!" Ishaani gave Ranveer a scowl.

"Yeah, coz imagining your face on the cups was so much fun."

"Hey!" Ranveer snatched the gun from her hand as he waited for the owner to set the cups back again. After 5 minutes, the owner gave a thumbs up to Ranveer.

Ranveer shut his eyes, trying to get his breathing into control before he snapped them opened. Looking at the pyramid of cups keenly, he noticed the mid-spot that he knew was the linchpin for the falling of all of them. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the trigger with a deafening bang and all the cups collapsed. Smiling to himself in satisfaction, he followed the same method with the other two cases with the same result.

If the owner was in shock at Ishaani's shooting capabilities, his reaction on seeing Ranveer was even more abashed. He caught the counter, his hand on his heart as he stared at Ranveer disbelievingly.

"I don't believe it. I just... don't believe it." Ranveer handed over the gun to the owner and turned his attention towards Ishaani. She gave him an astounded look.

"Did you just _do_ that?"

"Told you." Ranveer winked at her and she looked perturbed for a couple of moments before she looked at the owner. Overcoming his initial shock, the owner looked displeased to say the least. Having lost two of his best collectibles that night, he gave them a surly look as Ranveer carried the Iron Man collectible and Ishaani caught hold of her Donald Duck.

Settling the Iron Man collectible on the front seat of the car and the Donald Duck in the dickey, both of them sat content for a couple of minutes before Ishaani made conversation first.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Knock off all the cups?" Ranveer felt the colour creep up his face and Ishaani chuckled.

"It's a bit embarrassing."

"I'm not judging you." Ranveer took a deep breath and spoke in one go.

"I know how to shoot." Ishaani took of couple of moments to have the fact registered and looked at him agog.

"What? _How_?"

"As I said, it's pretty embarrassing."

"Oh do go on already!"

"Back in my second year over here, I fell into a bit of a depression. I think you know that phase, given that Martin mentioned that instance. After a week of that incident, Martin suggested me to join shooting classes." Ishaani looked surprised.

"Why?"

"I was frustrated. Martin said that it was the best way to release a load from myself. I couldn't come up with anything better and I knew that I wanted to overcome my _situation_ so I gave it a shot."

"Oh." Ranveer could hear the amazement in Ishaani's voice and smiled coyly.

"Yeah. It was a three-month course. And I was a bloody good student at that. Got a medal and certificate at the end of the course for topping my batch."

"So what, you're a trained shooter now?"

"Something like that." Ishaani burst out into peals of laughter and Ranveer groaned.

"I told you it was embarrassing." Ishaani sobered down and gave him a soft look.

"It's not embarrassing. Honestly speaking, I find it kinda cool."

"You do."

"Yep, I do." Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other as Ishaani laid her head over his shoulder. Ranveer let the weight of his own head fall over hers and spoke lovingly.

"Thank you for making this day so special." Ishaani looked up at him and smiled.

"This is a small keepsake for making my life this special." Ranveer kissed her head and let out a small sigh before both of them fell asleep over each other's shoulder.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Aerial Pop-Ups**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani sat in the living room, tapping her feet irritably. She had been sitting on the couch for the last 15 minutes and Ranveer had still not come.

"Oh c'mon! How much longer?" Ishaani stared at the door to Ranveer's room angrily as Ranveer's voice ensued, an apologetic tone in it.

"Just a minute!" Ishaani slapped her head and yelled back, barely managing to stifle a yawn alongside.

"You've been giving me that answer for the past 15 minutes! Just get out already or I'm going to pull you out by your ear!"

"Alright, alright! I'm done!" Half a minute later, Ranveer exited his room in a navy blue jacket, white T-shirt and beige corduroy pant combo and Ishaani cocked up an eyebrow in his direction.

"Seriously? Getting into _this_ took you 15 minutes?" Ranveer looked flustered and Ishaani crossed her arms.

"Oh don't be silly. I couldn't decide on what to wear." Ishaani cocked her eyebrow up at him suspiciously and Ranveer hastened to continue. "I mean, I wanted to wear something good. It's not every day that you go for a hot air balloon ride now, do you?"

Ishaani continued to stare at him and his gaze faltered.

"What's going on?" Ranveer coughed uncomfortably, while Ishaani gave him an expectant look.

"What do you mean?" Ishaani shot him an exasperated look and Ranveer shuffled his feet.

"You've been acting weird since yesterday, ever since you sent that stupid collectible by courier." Ranveer smiled at the irritation in Ishaani's voice at the memory of the Iron Man suit but controlled himself, seeing as Ishaani let go of another yawn swiftly.

"No, I haven't." Ishaani narrowed her eyes at him and he tore his eyes away from her.

"Come on. Out with it." Ranveer spoke quickly, perhaps a little too quickly, setting Ishaani on the trail.

"Oh Sunny, you're just overthinking stuff." Ishaani gave him a mock impressed look and spoke in a dead-pan voice.

"Huh. And I thought that overreacting over me wearing that orange dress was normal." Ranveer rolled his eyes at her while Ishaani clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Sunny, you know well enough that you look much more amazing in this yellow dress. Sunny looks sunny!"

"Ha ha. As much as I appreciate the compliment, trust me, 5am in the morning is not a good time." Ranveer threw his hands up in the air.

"Sunny, it's a sunrise balloon ride. What do you expect?"

"You could have atleast told me before shaking me up awake like that! Besides, why on earth did you have to go in for the sunrise ride? We could have gone for the sunset one as well."

"Well, it's a surprise. So don't get all cranky. Besides, it's our last two days in Vegas. Be happy." Ranveer waved his hand in the air while Ishaani understood the curt dismissal of the topic.

"Fine. But this better be worth the wait." Ranveer's eyes widened in surprise momentarily and Ishaani was quick to catch on to it. She however, chose to remain silent except for letting out a small growl of frustration. Ranveer shrugged his shoulder simply and gestured her to make her way to the door.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani reached the spot within another 15 minutes from where all balloons were to take off. They walked up to of the pilots and the manager, who were busy in an animated chat. The pilot and manager saw Ranveer and gave him a broad smile, which only seemed to puzzle Ishaani more.

"Ah Mr. Vaghela! All the preparations are done. And you're in luck. The weather is perfect and the air cool. It should be a fun ride." Ranveer smiled meaningfully at the two of them and Ishaani felt slightly irked, her sleep being disturbed so rudely. Ranveer quickly walked over and signed the waiver form and returned back to Ishaani.

"Here's the form. Sign it."

"What is it?"

"It's a waiver form, disclaiming that should anything happen to us during the ride, it's entirely on our risk and not the company's."

"What?!"

"Its standard procedure, sweetie. Doesn't mean anything is going to happen." Ishaani gave Ranveer a disgruntled look and signed the paper while Ranveer looked at her happily. Handing over the paper to the manager, Ranveer walked back towards Ishaani while the pilot walked up to them.

The pilot led the two of them into the carrier and took his position. Ishaani stared around as her sleep finally washed away and was replaced by curious excitement. The pilot gave Ranveer a thumbs up as he started the helium in the engine. Ishaani stood by Ranveer's side as the balloon took off slowly, soaring through the air effortlessly and the view of Vegas came up before them.

The sky was still dark enough that the city lights remained on and Ishaani felt the same feeling of euphoria in her heart again. She looked towards Ranveer, her irritation from before rapidly fading away and pulled his arm around her shoulder. Ranveer smiled at her as her cuddled her, both of them enjoying the cool air whipping their faces.

"Liking it so far?" There was a strange deja vu about the question that Ranveer just asked her, but she could not put her finger on it. She simply looked at him and smiled.

"It's beautiful. But how come you went for the Sunrise Balloon Ride?"

"I felt it would be something memorable to both of us. Starting off in the dark and getting off at light." Ishaani smiled and stared ahead, her mind taking in the view before her. The balloon had now passed over the Red Rock Canyons and had taken a turn around the suburban city.

Ishaani looked at the city lights before her happily as she could see the sky changing its colours from indigo to purplish-blue. She knew that dawn was still half an hour away but it felt extraordinary. Ishaani could mentally define this experience as being stuck in a limbo between night and day.

Just as she was about to mention how beautiful the night lights looked from above, the view before her blacked out. She recoiled for a moment, afraid of what had happened and her voice trembled slightly.

"Ranveer?" Before he could reply, some part of the lights returned in front of her eyes. What she saw next however, stole her breath away. The lights that had reappeared were in the form of a huge heart for nearly a minute, before the complete set of lights returned back.

She turned her attention towards Ranveer, who was looking at her keenly, a shy look on his face. Ishaani looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears, as the skylight around them steadily grew lighter.

"Ranveer what-?"

"I know it's pretty corny, but I couldn't help it."

"So this is why you were so anxious for everything to be perfect." Ranveer gave her a simple look and she clasped her hand over her heart.

"So how did you like it?"

"I... I don't know what to say. This is so overwhelming."

"Then let me do the talking." Ranveer got to his knee and Ishaani stared at him, stunned. "Ishaani, I don't need to tell you since when I've loved and from how long I've loved you. You know that. You know the whole story. But that's the past; book we've closed together. In these five months that I've re-lived life with you, I just want to tell you that you've made me fall in love with you every single day. In the three years of our separation, I only though about how I could hate you or detest you for what you did, yet when my eyes met yours for the first time after our years of loneliness, all I could think was 'How could I ever hate you?' You're the reason I live. You're the reason why I pull every breath. You're the reason why living makes me feel alive. I made a fool-proof plan for our new story and it has worked just how I wanted. We established trust, friendship and communication between us. Now I want to establish love. I think the two of us have been ready to move past the friendship phase since long and take our relationship to the next level."

Ishaani stared at Ranveer transfixed as the first rays of the now rising sun broke through the horizon.

"_I love you_. And I know I'm stupid enough to confess this way, but I just want you to know that you are to me what the first rays of sunlight are to the night. I just want to make you my own for eternity."

"Ranveer, I-"

"Shhh. I know. That's why I'm proposing to you, not for wedlock, but for being my love. Will you be it?" Ishaani looked stunned for a couple of moments, as the sunlight hit her face in full force, before she whispered softly, tears now openly streaming from her eyes.

"_Yes_. Yes, I do accept to be the love of your life. _I love you too_. And I want to be yours for eternity as well." Ranveer got up and let his lips claim Ishaani's softly, as he could feel her lips trembling against his own. He hoisted her into the air as his arms caught her waist securely and her arms were around his neck while their lips met with a passion such like they never knew.

Gently bringing her down again, both of them smiled at each other for several minutes. The ring over Ishaani's finger sparkled strongly in the sunlight and a teardrop fell from her eyes over the heart.

Ranveer slowly pulled her chin up, so that they were staring into each other's eyes.

"Don't ever let another drop of tear come between our hearts." Ranveer rubbed the tear tracks from her face and held her close to him. "We're done with this. We're done with crying over everything. I only want you to know happiness with me. A smile is all I ask in return for my anguish."

Ishaani smiled at him and let her lips cover his own, as they slowly felt the same excitement grow inside them, a strange warmth tingling their nerves. Yet somehow, they felt the difference this time, for there was something magical about the way their lips met and parted, where every time a strange bubble of elations burst in the pits of their stomach. Separating from each other slowly after savoring their moment, Ranveer looked at Ishaani, a blissful oblivion fading away everything else from his view.

"I love you." Ishaani put her handover his heart now and felt it thumping through her fingers. She smiled and looked at him.

"I think you have my answer as well, given that it's my heart beating within you. But just so you know, _I love you_." Ranveer gave Ishaani a warm smile as the balloon now glided over the Red Rock Canyon once again.

The balloon descended after another ten minutes and came to halt at the same spot from where it took off. Ranveer and Ishaani left the carrier hand in hand, a warm smile on their faces. The manager walked up to them and smiled.

"Sir. Madam. Allow me to lead you towards our small marquee where we organize our breakfast meals for the flyers." Ranveer gave him a cursory nod as the manager led the two of them to the marquee. Several small tables lay there and the manager led them over to one of them.

Ishaani and Ranveer sat comfortably as a waiter walked over to them after five minutes, two glasses of champagne on it along with the customary breakfast of bacon and eggs and a plate of Belgian waffles. Ranveer raised his glass in toast towards Ishaani and she smiled and did the same.

"To the next level."

"To the next level."

Ranveer took a sip from his glass of champagne and Ishaani did the same. Ishaani had barely taken a sip when she had a weird expression on her face. She kept down the glass and peered inside it. Confused, she took the fork and put it inside the glass, removing the foreign object that touched her lips. She stared stunned however, when she realized that it was a ring.

Ranveer stared at her keenly, watching every expression minutely before Ishaani turned to stare at him and laughed. Ranveer looked abashed.

"Seriously, Ranveer? The world's most cliché method of proposing?" Ranveer flushed and Ishaani smiled. "Well, I like it. I'm pretty corny that way." Ranveer heaved a sigh of relief and gave her a warm smile.

Ishaani handed over the ring to Ranveer and he cleaned with the tablecloth. Ishaani stared at Ranveer intently as he removed the previous ring from her finger and slipped on the new one. The new ring was similar to the first, except that the new ring had two hearts with diamonds embedded in it and a thin band of silver running around.

"Honestly speaking, do you intend me to have an entire collection of rings by the time we reach the altar?"

"Something like that." When Ishaani gave him an incredulous look, he smiled and continued. "The first promise ring was the sign of established trust. This one is established friendship. So by the time we reach the altar, you'll have rings enough to symbolize all the different bases of our relationship that we achieved."

"But what if something goes wrong?"

"Then these rings will show you the light." Ishaani smiled at him, comprehension dawning over her, as Ranveer gave her a loving look.

"You're the most amazing person I've ever met."

"Mutual sentiments." Ishaani chuckled and Ranveer continued. "But we can save that conversation for some other time. For now,_ Bon Appetit_!"

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: The Resurfacing of the Past**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani sat in the living room as the bellboys loaded their suitcases on the trolley and steered them away. The room had a very quiet air about it and Ishaani felt empty.

"I'm going to miss this place."

"Yeah. Me too." Ishaani walked over to where Ranveer was sitting and sat by his side, keeping her hand over his knee.

"So it's back to reality now, isn't it?" Ranveer nodded his head slowly as Ishaani put her head on his shoulder. After a couple of minutes, Ranveer gently made to get up and Ishaani did the same. They shut the room door behind them and headed for the reception lobby.

Handing over the keycard to Mr. Kovalski, they took their places in the hotel car, which was packed with the combined reason of their luggage, plus the hotel's gifts as a token of appreciation.

* * *

Thirteen hours later, Ranveer and Ishaani were walking outside the London Duty Free. They had a stopover in London for an hour before they could reach Athens. Ranveer and Ishaani discussing about the few changes that the library was supposed to have when the former collided into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Ranveer."

Ishaani stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the person who Ranveer collided with. Ranveer apologetic look turned into one of cold indifference at the sight of the person and Ranveer's lips barely moved as he replied back.

"Sharman."

Ishaani could have sworn that the temperature had reduced around then in that moment as both Ranveer and Sharman stared at each other for a couple of minutes. Ishaani walked forward hesitantly and gave to stand right beside Ranveer. Sharman returned his attention towards Ishaani and gave her half a smile. He hugged her awkwardly, his gaze never meeting her own, while Ishaani stood sunned for a couple of moments before she reciprocated.

"Ishaani, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too."

"And it's good to see you too, Ranveer."

"I'm sure the pleasure is all mine." Ishaani could hear polite and cordial wishes being shared between the two of them, yet she felt that beside her were two hounds that would tear down each other at any instant. Ishaani quickly interlocked her fingers with Ranveer and Sharman was quick to notice.

"So the two of you are back together?"

"Oh yeah. We sorted out our issues." Ranveer gave Sharman a blank look and he gave a quick smile.

"That's good." Turning his attention towards Ishaani, Sharman spoke once again. "So how are you, Ishaani? It's been three years since I last saw you." A sudden resentment rose up in Ishaani's heart at the thought of the memory, before Ranveer's words floated in her mind.

_Rule no. 6. Once the wound gets a bit old, stop wearing the bandage. Keep the half-healed wound open now. But make sure never to re-open the same wound. It leaves a scar forever. Never do that._

Ishaani took a deep breath as she pushed away the resentful thoughts and spoke in a choked voice.

"Oh brilliant." Sharman averted his gaze away from her while Ranveer instead turned to look at Ishaani. He could see that she was uncomfortable and at unease. Suddenly, Ranveer smacked his head and looked at Ishaani.

"Oh damn!"

"What happened?"

"I forgot to buy Martha's Quality Street chocolates! I get them for her every time!"

"But now what are you going to do?"

"I think I might get it from the Duty Free."

"But aren't the prices here sky high?"

"I know, but I have to get her those chocolates at any cost. Those are her favourites."

"Alright, you go get it and I'll wait here."

"Sunny, you mind going and buying it? I need to make an important call as well." Ishaani gave him an unsure look but Ranveer's returned a firm gaze.

"Fine, I'll go get it." Turning her attention towards Sharman, she spoke slowly. "Bye_ bhaiyya_, it was good to see you."

"Bye Ishaani. Even I'll be leaving now. The security check of my flight has begun." Bidding quick goodbyes, Sharman made his way to the security check, while Ishaani went to the Duty Free. Ranveer simply stood there and heaved a big sigh of relief.

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani were seated in the flight once again. Ishaani was yawning softly and Ranveer was idly flipping through a magazine. Both of them were thinking about their meeting with Sharman, but neither of them wanted to discuss this. After a couple of minutes however, Ishaani spoke softly.

"It felt so strange seeing today." Ranveer needed to more hint to know who Ishaani was talking about.

"Yeah."

"I've been seeing him after three years. And our last conversation back wasn't the best of ones we had." Ishaani turned her head in Ranveer's direction and saw that his face was a blotchy red.

"I don't think my last conversation with your family was any more pleasant. The only person that I'm frankly on talking terms is with Falguni Ma. That's it."

"Wait, so you've been in touch with them."

"Yeah. Both your family as well as mine. I've never been to India in these three years, but I keep regular tabs by phone."

"Oh. I had no idea."

"Yeah. Though now ofcourse I have only two people who I phone regularly. One is _Maa_ and _Baba_ and the other is Falguni _Ma_." Something seemed to click in Ishaani's mind and she asked him slowly.

"Ranveer, that day in Vegas-"

"Oh yeah. I was talking to _Maa_ that day." Ishaani had a disturbed expression on her face and spoke with confusion evident in her voice.

"But why were the two of you fighting?"

"She found out about the two of us." Ishaani looked even more perturbed.

"I don't understand."

"You see, when I met you back in June, I'd not told anyone about you back home, except for _Baba_. You know that he has always been my confidante. I told him about the whole scenario, right from the start to the finish, without even sparing a single detail. He didn't seem too convinced at first, but now he's come to terms with it. And he's happy that we finally re-united. _Baba_ wanted to tell _Maa_ about this, but I told him not to. I needed time to set things right between us before we got our families involved all over again. I think somehow, _Baba_ thought that telling _Maa_ about you and me on the eve of my birthday would reduce the impact. He was sorely mistaken." Ranveer gave a dry laugh and continued. "I don't need to tell you what happened next. I think you can assume enough."

Ishaani gave him an uncomfortable look and asked him slowly.

"Does anyone know in my family about us?"

"No, nobody does. No one, except Sharman ofcourse, given that he saw us together today. The wildfire should spread soon enough."

"Oh." Ishaani gave him a guilty look and Ranveer gave her a decisive look.

"Ishaani, don't expect me to wait for acceptance this time. This was the same thing that tore us apart last time, and I'm in no frame of mind to bear more drama. I think our families should be mature enough to understand that our happiness lies with each other. If they do accept it, fine and good. If they don't, I cannot do anything more. _Baba_ has given us his blessings and love. Now whether _Maa_ does the same, I cannot say. Regarding your family, I won't even bother for an acceptance except from _Baa_ and Falguni _ma_."

Ishaani gave him a curious look and Ranveer spoke, his frustration evident this time.

"Sharman works for a multinational company. He has a lot of travelling in his job, so he barely resides in India now. He goes there only for a month. Devarsh has a freelancing business, which he's raking in right now." There was a strange spite in Ranveer's voice as he continued. "He married Parul." Ishaani get out a gasp of shock as her eyes bulged.

"What!? _How?_" Ranveer let a smile curl his lips at the sight of her shocked face and he continued.

"Trust me, a lot of blackmailing went into this. Those two were far better in convincing our families than the two of us. Plus, they kept a lot of conditions as well. All in all, those two were ruling and our families were right puppets."

"What kind of conditions were put forth?"

"They, uh, separated themselves completely from their families. Asked them not to interfere in their lives, given that they'd seen how family interferences that ruined our relationship. Just meeting for festivals and occasions. Nobody had the power to overrule them."

"I can't believe it! Parul and Devarsh... as much as I'm glad that they're married and happy, I never had the impression that they were this efficient in putting across their facts."

"You know Ishaani, the difference between us and them is that we're sentimental. They're practical." Ishaani nodded her head in agreement and looked slightly excited now

"Tell me more."

"Okay. Given that Devarsh gave them such a rude shock, Chaitali _kaki_ and Mitesh _kaka_ decided to move abroad. Sharman sponsored them on his visa in Hong Kong. So they live there now. From what I've heard, they're extremely happy."

"What about Prateik?"

"Prateik is a chef now." Ishaani chuckled and Ranveer smiled again, his tone getting soft again. "The perfect job for the perfect guy now, isn't it? He has a small restaurant and lives in the studio apartment above it. He's engaged right now." Ishaani gave him a teary smile and Ranveer sighed.

"What about _Baa_ and _Maa_?"

"They're living together. They have a small business of papads and pickles, but it's wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. Besides, Falguni _Maa_ used to remain quite ill during those days because of the continuous stress. And given that they had severe rent crisis, they found an alternative." Ishaani looked confused and Ranveer halted. He stared at Ishaani uncertainly, before Ishaani gestured him to continue.

"They're living with Nitin_ ji_ now." Ranveer spoke the sentence in a quick rush and observed Ishaani's expression keenly for a minutes. Ishaani stared at him simply for a few moments and Ranveer was relieved that a smile appeared over her features.

"Nitin Uncle is always like that. A messiah in our lives." Ranveer looked surprised at Ishaani's statement and she gave him an apologetic look. "In the month after I was released from jail, apart from Shikhar, Nitin uncle has been my biggest support. He was the only one who believed me and supported me. He was the one who suggested me to make a new start and gave him a new hope to live in those several days, where life seemed to hit a dead end."

Ranveer gave her a soft look, while he mentally heaved a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

"You know, during that one month, Nitin uncle had told me all about his life, how he had left his wife and unborn child for another woman and his career. He told me every single day how much he regretted that decision of his every single day and how he tried to repent every moment, but he knew his deed was beyond forgiveness. We found ways in which we consoled each other." Ranveer gave Ishaani an intent look before he phrased his question mentally.

"Ishaani, can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"If your father ever returned back in your life, would you ever forgive him?" Ishaani pondered over the question thoroughly before she replied.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I've been having this question in my mind for long. So I just asked." Ishaani gave him a puzzled look for something before she nodded her head. Ranveer stared at her intently as he put forth his next question.

"Do you trust me?" Ishaani gave him a mildly surprised look.

"No?" Ishaani stuck out her tongue at him and Ranveer shook his head embarrassed. "What kind of a question is that, stupid?"

"Sorry, I know that was a stupid question." Ishaani looked at him deeply, before she spoke again.

"Don't worry. I know that you'll tell me the whole truth when you think the time is right." Ranveer gave her a confused look before he realized that she was talking about his _Mota Babuji_. Ranveer simply shrugged his shoulder.

"Thank you for having that faith in me." Smiling at him, Ishaani cupped his cheek loving as she linked her arm within his own.

"Always." Ishaani looked at him and kissed his cheek. "Let's take a small nap. We should be home in another couple of hours."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Home Sweet Home**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer opened the door of their car and sprung out from it. Martin was waiting at the entrance, a broad smile on his face.

"_Monsieur! Madame!_ It's so good to see you!" Martin gave Ranveer a bear hug and kissed Ishaani's hand politely. Both of them smiled at him broadly.

"Martin! How are you doing? You look thinner."

"Oh _madame_, you worry too much. I must say _madame_, you are glowing!" Ishaani popped up her ring finger up and Martin gave out a shout. "Aha! I knew it!" Martin ushered both of them inside, as Claudine came to the hall. Ishaani ran towards her and gave her a hug, careful enough to mind her tummy, while Ranveer gave her a side hug.

"Oh my goodness Claud, is it me or has your tummy grown in these ten days?" Claudine blushed and Ishaani chuckled. Ranveer sniffed around and Martin smiled.

"_Monsieur_, you must be hungry! I'll just set up the table right now. Also, Mrs. Brandt will be here any minute."

"Oh wow, Martha will be here?" Ranveer and Ishaani looked happily towards each other.

Martha came over after another 10 minutes and the greetings continued. Ranveer and Ishaani opened suitcases eagerly and handed out souvenirs from the trip, while excited banter continued. After another forty-five minutes, Martin had the table set up and all of them made their way to it. Martin had prepared Spring Rolls, Turkish Chicken Kebabs, Chicken Wonton Cups and Panzenella Salad for hors d'oeuvres, which was sumptuously followed by Duck with Orange, Lasagna Bolognese, Smoked Turkey Breasts, Mushroom Tagladite and Chicken and Rice along with Bon Pies, Strawberry Shortcake and Tiramisu Cake. Wine and champagne flowed about freely and along with it light chatter ensued.

Ranveer and Ishaani then sat down and narrated their trip on Vegas. Martha, Claudine and Martin heard the two of them intently, as they started with their initial sight-seeing and the basic tourist attractions. Martha and Claudine guffawed however, at the mention of the casino incident, while Martin laughed politely, afraid to hurt anyone's sentiments.

All the three of them made for an excellent audience as they 'oohed' and 'aahed' the perfect places and gave suitable reactions. They were shocked when they found out that Ranveer and Ishaani had almost gotten married but heaved a sigh when they weren't. Ranveer and Ishaani were both quick to see a note pass from Claudine's hand to Martha's, with the former's expression sullen and the latter one's triumphant.

Ranveer was however quick to also notice the fact that Martin was surprising subdued in the evening than his usual chatter, and Ranveer could see distress in his eyes. He mentally made a note to talk to Martin about this. Ranveer and Ishaani proceeded to talking about Ranveer's birthday and the surprises Ishaani had planned for him and the note from Martha's hand found its way back to Claudine.

Both the women had tears in their eyes when Ranveer mentioned about his proposal to Ishaani and Martin had a proud smile on. Martha left the house three hours later, while Ranveer and Ishaani made their way to their respective rooms before kissing each other goodnight. Martin had already sent up their suitcases and Claudine had retired for bed, given that she felt a little ill suddenly.

The next day, Ranveer took off for his office early while Ishaani headed to the library. Ishaani took a deep breath as she entered the library and smiled. She felt as though she had truly returned home as she took a walk around the shelves and smiled. Martha came in fifteen minutes later and handed over the ledgers to her for the day, that were to be recorded in for the day.

Ranveer and Ishaani happily settled back into their life happily enough and were happy to get back into the groove of their normal life. Their own family issues took a backseat as work kept both Ishaani and Ranveer busy and they barely got time to interact except during breakfast and after dinner times. But Ishaani was happy that life was at its rosiest for her.

Three weeks flew by swiftly and November counted off its first fifteen days quickly. But as time passed, Ishaani realized that things were not as rosy as they looked. She noticed that Martin and Claudine barely spoke to each other these days and just stuck on with cordial conversation. Ishaani confronted both of them separately on the matter but both refused to say anything on it. If things at home were fishy enough, she realized that things at the library was just as mysterious.

Ishaani couldn't help but notice that Ranveer and Mr. Ambrose's visits to the library were getting more and more frequent by the day and the three of them spent several hours in the cabin in meetings that Ishaani had no clue about.

Neither Ranveer nor Martha let her on to what was going on and kept telling her that they needed a meeting on major changes to be made on the library, but Ishaani knew that it was something else altogether. Martha remained upset these days and Ishaani had caught her cry secretly at more than three occasions.

Ranveer looked worried and stressed but Ishaani trusted him enough that he would let her on to what was going on. On more than several occasions, Ishaani was tempted to have a glass of brandy to steady her nerves from all the indirect stress.

On one such night during the second week of November, Ishaani roamed around her room, irritated with another failed attempt at getting Martin to spill the beans and growled. She quickly walked over to her cabinet and pulled out a glass of brandy and a bottle of whiskey.

Pouring out a small measure, she quickly took a swig from it and felt the alcohol soothe her throat. She felt some of her worry get obliterated and took another swig hurriedly. Making up her mind, she got up and made her way to Ranveer's room and swung it open. Ishaani realized that Ranveer was talking to someone on the phone and abruptly stopped talking at her sight.

He looked exhausted and annoyed both but his expression softened nonetheless at the sight. He quickly told the mysterious caller that he would call them back and hung up the call. He gave Ishaani a guilty look and realized that she had taken a bit of brandy.

"Ishaani! Why are you standing there? Come sit." Ishaani walked towards the bed and plonked over it.

"I'm sorry to disturb you."

"Oh no. It's alright. It wasn't an important call anyway. It was Ritika."

"Ritika? _Our_ Ritika? How is she?"

"She's good. She stays in Singapore now and works as a fashion designer."

"But the company?"

"She sold her shares out. She had just many bad memories over here, so she wanted a new start. She had her friend working for an _haute couture_ in Singapore and she decided to join her. She has a daughter, Maira."

"I can't believe Sharman never claimed that kid. How could he?"

"Uh... that's again debatable. I just got off the phone with Ritika. Like I said, the news about the two of us spread like wildfire. _Maa_ must have called her up and told her about it. So she called me up to see whether it was true or no. But our conversation ended up turning into a very interesting one. She was in a confession mood and ended up confessing that the kid wasn't Sharman's." Ishaani stared at him agog before she asked meekly.

"Wait, so if that kid wasn't Sharman's, whose is it then?"

"Um, she tells me it is Chirag's." Ishaani stared at him disbelievingly and lost her balance from the bed. She near toppled on the ground, her fall being broken by Ranveer catching hold of her last minute. Ishaani stared up at him and muttered hoarsely.

"That's impossible."

"That was precisely my same reaction, but when she told me why, it didn't seem that impossible again."

"What do you mean?"

"Chirag had been following her during their bachelorette party. This got a little out of hand with all the girls there and... I think you'll get the idea." Ishaani looked nauseated and turned her face away.

"That swine has ruined all of our lives! He didn't even die in peace. He made sure that if he couldn't separate us when we were alive, he'd do it with his death. That son of a-"

"Sweetie, what did I tell you about the old wounds?" Ishaani disregarded this but put forth another question of her own.

"But how did she find out about this?"

"It was the same day Chirag died. Somewhere between after I left and before you found him dead, he had called her over to reveal the truth of her child. Ritika and he had a heated conversation and things got ugly. But she tells me that he was still alive when she left the place." Ishaani looked shaken up and Ranveer rubbed her shoulders gently.

"I want to talk about him anymore. His death doesn't matter."

"Alright. We won't talk about it. But I don't understand one thing. In these three years, I admit that I must have spoken only three or four times with Falguni _Ma_, I must have barely spoken twice with Ritika and I talk to _Maa_ once in two weeks. I understand _Maa_ not telling me the truth about you being alive, but why Falguni Ma and Ritika? Why did they keep me away from the truth that you were alive?" Ishaani gave him a sad smile and spoke.

"It's because I am dead for them. Atleast you have spoken with them a few times in these three years. I haven't even spoken to them once. Not even once." Ranveer pulled Ishaani into his arms as she sat silently, her mind too full to cry yet too empty to feel anything.

"That's why I never wanted to mention your family until I knew you were ready. And I was wrong. You would never be ready for this." Ishaani looked at him painfully.

"I don't blame them Ranveer. I brought humiliation not only upon my whole family but on yours as well. It's obvious that they would disown me."

"And that's why, let the past be. You weren't correct, but they weren't either. Not once in three years did anyone bother to keep contact with you. Okay, I understand _Baa_ and Falguni _Ma_ being upset. But what about your brothers? They were the ones who cared for you so much. Yet their egos were far more than their acceptance. It's not done Ishaani, it's not done. The same goes for my family as well." Ishaani could hear the same contempt in his voice that she had heard in the flight and she understood why.

"Ranveer, it's alright. I'm used to life being such a fiend." Ranveer stared at her intently before speaking again.

"Did I tell you about Disha and Manas?"

"No. What happened?"

"They are divorced. Disha wanted something else from life and the child's responsibility was more than she could handle, so she left Manas and pursued her dreams." Ishaani slapped her head and groaned in frustration.

"That girl is the world's biggest moron. How could she leave her husband and kid for a career?"

"Go figure. So, Manas has been taking care of the kid. It's a boy, by the way - Aditya. Disha returned back and filed for a divorce and gave Manas the full custody of the kid."

"This is insane! What the heck was more important to her than her family?!"

"Being an airhostess? I've heard that she's working for a big airline company. I was glad that we didn't have her over in our airlines or else we'd have been in for a rude awakening." Ishaani smiled inspite of herself and Ranveer heaved a sigh. They sat together for a few minutes before Ishaani spoke again.

"Why does life have to be so testing?"

"I wish I had the answer to that, but I don't. All I think is that maybe hurdles are important to keep life interesting with adventures making its way in our lives from time to time."

"They get a bit too adventurous in our lives though."

"Oh yeah, totally." Ishaani chuckled ruefully and spoke again.

"Speaking of which, what's wrong with Martin and Claudine? They're pretty off with each other these days."

"So I'm not the only one who thinks that." Ishaani and Ranveer shared a knowing look.

"Have you spoken to them?"

"I've tried. But they're too tight lipped. Jerks."

"_Ranveer_!"

"Alright, alright. But I'm just saying. We have enough worries without more piling up."

"Which reminds me, Martha is pretty upset these days. What's up with her? She again, refuses to tell me anything. Nobody tells me anything these days." Ishaani could see an uneasy look over Ranveer's expression and his eyes lurking in guilt. Ishaani narrowed her eyes at him and spoke in a dangerously low tone.

"And you are included in the list as well." Ranveer gave her an apologetic look and he stroked her hair, while she cuddled up to him.

"I know I'm being a prat. But I promise, I'll let you know. Someday."

"I do hope you know that _someday_ is always a code word for _never_." Ranveer rolled his eyes at her before yawning slowly. Ishaani looked at the clock and gasped.

"Oh my! I never realized it was this late! I think we should go to bed. We'll continue our conversation tomorrow." Ranveer nodded his head and saw her off to her room. They both wished each other goodnight while Ishaani yawned sleepily. Ishaani was about to close the door when Ranveer suddenly swung it open and kissed her. Ishaani was momentarily surprised, before she kissed him back and smiled against his lips.

Separating quickly, Ranveer looked at Ishaani and muttered softly.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Ranveer smiled and Ishaani kissed him on his cheek once again.

"Don't worry. I'll answer you back every time you tell me that you love me." Ranveer gave Ishaani a coy smile before speaking.

"You know Ishaani, someday is not always a code word for never, because these days with you were a _someday_ for me too, at one point of time." Ranveer smiled at Ishaani and both of them shared a meaningful look. Ranveer hugged her once more before he made his way to the room, while Ishaani made her way to her bed, lost in thought.

It was indeed a _someday_ in their lives.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Sticky Conversations**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The next morning, Ranveer and Ishaani sat on the dining table, when they saw Claudine and Martin leave the room, both of them looking upset. Martin quickly made her sit on the table and left her side before anyone could say anything and started serving the breakfast. All the three of them ate their breakfast in silence and Ranveer and Ishaani constantly kept shooting furtive glances at each other, trying to form an idea to find out the cause behind their friends' misery.

After fifteen minutes, Martin cleared off the table and was about to leave, when Ranveer caught his hand.

"I need to talk to you." Martin looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened in understanding.

"_Monsieur_... I... I..."

"_Now_." Martin didn't need to be told twice to know that Ranveer was reaching one of his rages. He quietly followed Ranveer to his room, as Ishaani saw the scene unfold. She sighed and got up from the table, phoning Martha and telling her that she was going to be late for work. She took a death breath, before she made her way towards Claudine's room.

Ranveer shut the door behind him and Martin stared about nervously.

"What the hell is going on?"

"What are you talking about, _monsieur_?

"You know what I'm talking about."

"_Monsieur_, really it's nothing."

"Look Martin, I have a hell lot of stiff on my mind right now without you making me guess riddles. Out with it this instant." Martin gave Ranveer a hesitant look before he sighed.

"I had a fight with Claudine."

"I figured that out funnily enough." Martin gave him an irritated look before sighing.

"I didn't mean to get angry. I just..."

"Martin, just tell me the whole thing."

* * *

Ishaani entered Claudine's room and shut the door. Claudine looked up hastily and Ishaani could see that she was crying. Claudine looked up in Ishaani's direction and hastily wiped away her tears.

"Ishaani, I don't want to talk about this."

"I didn't come up here for your grand permission." Claudine glared at her, but Ishaani kept her gaze intact.

"Martin has driven me off my mind, without you adding more to it."

"I thought we were past the stage where you couldn't trust me because you thought I was trying to make a run for Ranveer's estate?" Claudine rolled her eyes, while Ishaani gave her a sarcastic look.

"In my defense, I had no clue about your true identity back then and it was only for a week! So stop whining." Ishaani gave a satisfactory nod and continued.

"I'll stop and you start." Claudine let out a frustrated sigh and Ishaani gave her a defiant look.

"So you won't take no for an answer?"

"Nopes." Claudine and Ishaani stared at each other for several minutes before the former finally accepted defeat.

"Fine! I'll tell you everything!" Ishaani sat down beside Claudine and patted her knee gently.

"Now that's a good girl."

* * *

"It was two days after you left for Vegas with _madame_. Claudine looked a little worried and wanted to have a conversation with me. I sincerely regretted getting into that."

"Why was it that bad?" Martin hurled out the next sentence in one go.

"Claudine wanted me to quit this job." Ranveer stared at him for a few moments and gave him a confused look.

"_And_?"

"She wants me to give my career another shot."

"Wait? _That's it_? That's what you fought with Claud for?" Ranveer gave Martin a deadpan look and Martin's gaze faltered underneath it.

"_Monsieur_... it's hard to explain."

"Then give it a shot."

"That day, I'd taken Claudine to the bakery shop because she wanted to have pastries. Over there, we ran into my_ Roi_."

"What?! That rascal of a master of yours? What the hell is _he_ doing here?"

"I don't know,_ monsieur_, but he spoke a lot of harsh things about me. Claudine made to retort back at him but I just caught her hand and took her away from there. We came home and Claudine was really angry at him for not letting her speak and then the conversation went from one thing to another."

Ranveer gave Martin an incredulous look.

"You have been estranged from Claudine since a month! The Martin I knew wouldn't be upset with anyone, far less Claudine, for more than a day! And that too for a reason like this! What is wrong with you?" Martin gave him a pained look before he threw out the next few words from his mouth is disgust.

"_Monsieur_, I regret marrying Claudine and having the children with her!" Before Ranveer knew it, he felt his hand fly across Martin's face in a harsh slap.

* * *

"And he told me that he regretted marrying me and having kids with me!" Ishaani gasped and gave an outraged look.

"How _dare_ he!?" Claudine continued like she had not heard Ishaani and spoke venomously.

"So I told him that I regretted marrying him because he was a _coward_ and didn't _deserve_ me!" Ishaani let out another audible gasp of shock and shrieked.

"_Claudine_! How could you? Knowing what he's been through?!" Claudine gave her a childishly defiant look while Ishaani felt like someone had slapped her on her face.

"He's the one who started it!" Ishaani narrowed her eyes and spoke through her teeth.

"And do you intend to be the one ending it?"

"Ishaani, I'm tired. I've tried and tried and tried to get him to move on from his past, but he just doesn't want to even give it a shot! It's like he's burrowed himself a hiding spot in his past where he cowers away and hides!"

"Claudine, you know how traumatic his past has been." Claudine looked at Ishaani angrily before she half-yelled out.

"That doesn't mean that he has go about screwing up his future!"

* * *

"Martin! Say that one more time and I'll personally disown you!" Martin now turned a pair of deranged eyes in Ranveer's direction and fell to his knees, crying unabashedly.

"Claudine deserves much better than me, _monsieur_! Much better! She doesn't require a tainted man who can't stand up for himself and can't take care of himself! My _Roi_ made me realize that. I'm not good enough for her, not nearly good enough. And now, we... we have children on the way and... And... They'll always hate me for being what I am... and-"

"Excuse me, but do clarify one thing for me. What _are_ you?" Martin looked up towards Ranveer and he could see anger swimming in his eyes such like he had never seen before.

"I... I..."

"Yes, Martin. I'm waiting for an answer. What are you? Even I would like to know that." Martin stared at him blankly before Ranveer sneered. "You know what you are, Martin? You are the world's biggest moron. You have a beautiful and loving life who cares nothing about where or what you come from, except that you have a golden heart. You have two of the most prized possessions on their way, yet you regret that. If that's not a moron, I don't know what is."

"_Monsieur_, I-"

"Let me speak. You've spoken your share. It's my turn now." Martin could sense the cold anger in his voice and knew that he had crossed a limit. Ranveer continued. "I have told you a thousand times that it does not matter what you are born as, but what you grow up to be. When we take birth, we don't have an option to choose the circumstances around us. It's only as you grow that you truly can be the change you want to see. So please, cut me some slack over here."

"_Monsieur_, you don't understand."

"I don't understand, Martin? _I_ don't understand? Martin, of all the people in the world, I'm the _only_ one who understands! So don't you dare!" Ranveer glared at Martin and the latter buried his face in his palms.

"I love Claudine too much, _monsieur_. I want to give her the world. But I can't get past my past, _monsieur_. I can't let go. And I'm afraid that I'm pulling Claudine with me in the darkness. That's why I-"

"Wanted to set her free?" Martin looked ashamed that Ranveer had read his thoughts so transparently. "Martin, listen to me." Martin looked at him teary-eyed and Ranveer sat down on his knees at well.

"_Monsieur-_"

"Please. Just listen to me. Martin, setting Claudine free isn't the solution over here. Setting your own self free from your past is what matters. Martin, you can't keep living in it. And do be honest with me. Is Claudine wrong if she wants you to give your career another shot?"

"No, she isn't, but-"

"So you admit that much. She has full right to have this discussion with you and she has full right to express her disappointment with your decision. You are worth ten of that moronic master of yours and you deserve as much of a new beginning in life as every one of us."

"But I'm not ready."

"Then start preparing yourself. Start throwing yourself out into the light. Rather than dragging Claudine with you into the darkness, let her lead you out into the light. I don't know what happened that day with you, Martin, but if you keep letting yourself drown back into past, you can never move ahead. I want you to go and apologize to Claud right this moment and clear this mess up. I have too much on my head, without having this extra worry. And for crying out loud, do learn something from Ishaani. That girl turned out to be much smarter than you."

Martin looked abashed before Ranveer calmed down a little.

"Martin, when Claudine decided to marry you, what did she say was her reason behind it?"

"She said that she commended me for my honesty and daring."

"Exactly my point. She didn't care about your social status, but cared about what lied beneath those eyes of yours and what lied inside your heart. That's who Claudine fell for. So never, ever give me that crap about not being an equal or a tainted man. Do you understand?" Martin nodded his head slowly and Ranveer helped him up. "I hope we never have this conversation again. And I'm sorry that I slapped you. Though if it does have the desired effect over you, I'm not really sorry again."

* * *

"Ishaani, I love him. With all my heart. But he just can't keep cutting me out from his life every now and then. It hurts."

"Honey, what Martin said was wrong. Very wrong. But trust me. It's something they'll never manage to pull their selves through. It's why they shine out so strong."

"But Ranveer accepted it."

"Only because he wanted my hand for marriage. He thought that the only way he could be my equivalent was if he was rich enough. So he blended himself well. Once we got married, he didn't even know at times whether I would love him for who he was or for what he had become. I think it was only six months back that he realized that I've always loved Ranveer, my friend, not the business tycoon RV. And I'm glad he understands. Give Martin some time. He'll get around eventually."

"Ishaani, I feel so afraid these days. I just don't know what Martin is up to. He has never stayed away from me for so long and every day seems harder and harder to pull off without him."

"Then why don't you take the first step?"

"I tried, but... he keeps pushing me away by ignoring me or by simply seeing right through me. I don't even know what to do anymore!"

"Claudine."

Claudine and Ishaani both turned to look at the door and saw Martin standing over there, a harried look on his face. Ishaani got up and gave Claudine's hand a reassuring squeeze before walking towards the door. She patted Martin's shoulder consolably, before she saw Ranveer standing behind him. She gave Martin a silent push inside the room and now took to standing beside Ranveer, who was glaring at Martin.

Martin walked inside, unstable on his feet before he stumbled and Claudine caught hold of him. One look at her and Martin felt tears openly escape his eyes, and Claudine pulled him into her arms till what her bump would permit. Both of them cried unabashedly, constantly alternating between apologizing and telling each other how much they meant for each other.

Ranveer pulled Ishaani into a side hug and both of them looked at Martin and Claudine with tears in their eyes. Martin gave Claudine a deep kiss and Ranveer wolf-whistled from behind, along with Ishaani smacking his shoulder playfully. She pulled Ranveer away from the scene and brought in into the living room, giving both Martin and Claudine some alone time.

"Well, we finally got those two idiots to shed their ego."

"We're kinda experts in this field now, aren't we?"

"Trained professional." Ishaani pulled Ranveer by his tie and latched her lips over his while Ranveer felt himself turn crimson. Ishaani separated herself and smile at him notoriously. "What happened, Mr. Vaghela? Afraid of a little fire?"

"You are one wild cat now, aren't you?" Ishaani winked at him while Ranveer felt the blush creep up his neck.

"You have _no_ idea." Ranveer gave her a dazed look as Ishaani gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"You're such a tease." Ishaani threw her arms over her neck, before she smirked.

"That I am." Ishaani slowly freed herself from his grip and ascended the staircase, while Ranveer saw a retreating figure, a coy smile on his face.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Swept Away, I'm Stolen**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer stood in front of his wardrobe, decided what suit he was going to wear for today's meeting. He rubbed his chin in confusion when he heard a light knock on his door. He said an absent-minded 'Come in' and Martin entered the room. Ranveer gave Martin a smile while the latter gave him a sheepish look.

"_Monsieur_, I got the file you were asking for."

"Thanks. Martin, which suit would look good over a plum-coloured shirt and grey pants?" Martin remained silent for a few minutes before he replied back.

"A corduroy cream suit?"

"Oh yeah, sounds perfect." Ranveer removed a cream corduroy suit from his wardrobe and kept it on his bed, along with his other attire. He looked at it for a moment before he gave it a nod. He looked towards Martin, who had already kept the file on the coffee table and was standing silently.

"Does monsieur want anything else?"

"No, nothing. I think this should do." Ranveer nodded his head but saw a hesitancy in Martin's eyes. He smiled knowingly and spoke kindly. "Sit."

"No _monsieur_, it's alright. You are busy... I can come back some other time as well."

"I still have 15 minutes on my head. Relax." Martin nodded slowly and took a seat on the coffee table and Ranveer occupied the other.

"_Monsieur_... I just wanted to thank you. For what you and _madame_ did for Claudine and me. We are both really grateful." Ranveer rolled his eyes as he saw Martin twisting his fingers in anxiety.

"Martin, how many times do I have to tell you to be a little more informal than that? Besides, what exactly are you thanking me for? For helping you or slapping you?" Martin chuckled and Ranveer gave him an embarrassed look.

"_Monsieur_, I deserved it. I was indeed a prat, so why must you feel bad?"

"Well, you have a good point as well." Martin and Ranveer shared a common look of understanding and both of them got up and gave each other a hug. Separating after some time, both took their respective places back on the table and smiled.

"_Monsieur_, I wanted to talk to you about something else as well."

"Thought as much. What is it?"

"It's about _madame_." Ranveer looked confused and asked Martin carelessly.

"What about her?"

"Have you told her about what's happening at Neapolitan City?" Ranveer's smile faltered and an uneasy look replaced his features.

"No I haven't. Not yet."

"_Monsieur_, I know I don't have any right saying this," Ranveer gave Martin a glare and the latter quickly proceeded with the next part of his sentence, "-but I think you should tell madame about this. You will have to tell her sooner or later anyway."

"I can't get myself to do it."

"_Monsieur, madame_ and you have been through a lot of turmoil in your relationship. Now that things are finally going perfect between the two of you, I don't think that you should hide this from _madame_." Ranveer gave Martin a guilty look a spoke softly.

"She won't be able to take it."

"She won't be able to take it any time you tell her. But you must be reasonable, _monsieur_. You're betraying her trust by not telling her. And now that _madame_ trusts you so blindly, please don't fail her trust." Ranveer widened his eyes in fear and spoke hesitantly.

"I'm not failing her trust. It's just... she's been through a lot and now that she's finally getting some happiness, I can't take that away from her."

"But having her live in false security is far more wrong than pushing her into real danger."

"Martin, I... I don't know. You know, every day I think that I'll tell her everything about it but her once smile makes me go against my decision. I always think and make excuses that maybe things won't go as bad and I don't have to tell her anything at all. Then I'm knocked back into my senses and I feel guilty and treacherous that I didn't tell her about it and decide to do it the next day. But I never can."

"_Monsieur_, you are a practical person. You told me the odds yourself."

"I know. That's why I also know that I'm running out of excuses now."

"_Monsieur_, I know you don't want to break _madame's_ heart. But you will have to tell her someday. Besides, it's best that she learns about this from you directly rather than from indirect sources. It'll break her trust from over you. And trust me _monsieur_, hell hath no fury like the scorn of a woman."

* * *

Ishaani roamed about the library, a trolley in her and a booklist alongside. They had to donate books to Vari's public school for their annual fair and Ishaani removed the books one by one and placed them steadily. She was going to lift off a few books from the Western section when she saw Mr. Ambrose walking towards her.

"Oh hello, Mr. Ambrose. How are you doing?" Ishaani smiled brightly at Mr. Ambrose and the latter gave her a small smile in return.

"Nothing's really good these days, dear. But I love seeing your spirit and dedication to the library. Gives us all hope to fight." Ishaani's smile faltered and she now looked bewildered.

"Gives us all hope to fight? What are you talking about, Mr. Ambrose?"

"Oh come now dear. I'm talking about the library, ofcourse! Don't you know that the library is going to shut down?"

"_What_?" Ishaani gave him a disbelieving look and Mr. Ambrose looked confused.

"Didn't Mr. Vaghela tell you about this?" Ishaani felt her breath get hitched in her chest and barely managed to throw out the next words.

"No, nothing. What's happening around this place anyway? Nobody tells me anything these days!"

"I'm surprised that Mr. Vaghela hasn't told you already. But I can understand. This was supposed to be known only by the trustee members and the owner until the verdict was out and given that it isn't, they were right not to tell you." Ishaani felt her blood freeze at the thought of what exactly was going on and how much was being hidden from her.

"Mr. Ambrose, please. Just tell me what's going on over here." Mr. Ambrose sighed and continued.

"Technically speaking, you are on a need-to-know basis. I shouldn't be even telling you this. But since I let slip the fact, I think it'd be unfair to not tell you the whole thing now. It was during the time you were in Vegas. The Government wanted to make the library the part of the National Historic Monuments, because the library will be turning 53 this year. The board had to take a unanimous decision. It was a 50-50."

"What happened then?"

"Mr. Vaghela returned back a week later and his decision would mark whether it was for or against. Mr. Vaghela gave it in favour of the decision." Ishaani stared at Mr. Ambrose dumbstruck, as she felt her world collapsing around her. She could not believe that Ranveer would have given his decision in favour of the library being shut. Her voice barely rose above a disgusted whisper as she spoke accusingly.

"How _could_ he? He could he _do_ such a thing?"

"Ms. Parekh, you must not be this harsh. Even I and Mrs. Brandt were for the decision. It's why Mr. Vaghela cast his vote in favour too. But we were double-crossed. None of us knew that converting the library into a monument would mean the actual shutting down of the library. The moment Mr. Vaghela found out about it, he used his veto power to challenge the case."

"I can't believe that you all... would... would agree for such a thing." Mr. Ambrose had an uneasy look on his face and Ishaani felt ill.

"Sweetie, you must not be this judgmental now." Ishaani couldn't think about anything else except for the fact that the library was going to shut down and Ranveer had kept her away from the truth.

"And Ranveer didn't tell me a damn thing!"

"Now, now honey, you must give him credit. He has been putting day and night together to save the library. But frankly speaking, the odds don't look good enough and I don't think that Mr. Vaghela's money and goodwill are going to be enough. Not this time." Ishaani felt numb as she stared at Mr. Ambrose fearfully.

"When is the verdict coming out, Mr. Ambrose?"

"Today. At 4pm." Ishaani stared at him dumbly before she nodded her head.

"What happens if we lose?"

"The library shuts down. Probably by the end of the next month." Ishaani stared at Mr. Ambrose teary-eyed and spoke with anguish.

"How could you all let such a thing happen!? How could you all do this!? This is absolutely wrong! _Wrong_!" Mr. Ambrose gave her a guilty look and sighed.

"Sweetie, we were all at fault here and we are guilty as charged, you have that. But we're trying to do our best now. I can understand that you are in shock and you loved this library a lot-"

"_Loved_ this library? This library is my_ home_! My _refuge_! How could you all take _this_ away from me? How could Ranveer have let this _happen?_!" Ishaani felt hot, angry tears escape her eyes and she did not bother wiping them away. Mr. Ambrose gave her a sad look.

"Honey, I know it's devastating. Mrs. Brandt and I have given 25 and 30 respective years of our lives to this library each as well. And Mr. Vaghela revolved his entire life over here. But we must not play the blame game over here. We are all at fault and we are all sorry that it had to come to this. But maybe this is what destiny had for us." Ishaani gave Mr. Ambrose a heartbroken look and he patted her shoulder consolingly.

"Go home, darling. You need to calm yourself down a little. You can have the rest of the day off today."

* * *

Ranveer returned back home, his heart heavy and his mind still reeling with the final verdict. He knew that he had to break the news to Ishaani for there was no point in delaying the inevitable. He slowly made his way up to her room and knocked on the door. When no reply came back, he opened the door and saw Ishaani sitting on the bed, a stony look on her face.

Ranveer knew that something was drastically wrong, for Ishaani's face was red and puffy and her mascara was smudged badly.

"Ishaani? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Not according to _you_ anyway." Ranveer knew that Ishaani was in a dangerous mood and knew that it was the worst time to tell her about the library. Yet somehow, he knew that he had to get it done with in that moment. Taking a deep breath, mentally hoping that Ishaani took it decently, he spoke hesitantly.

"I need to talk to you about something." Ishaani cocked her eyebrows up coldly and Ranveer felt an unknown fear creep in his heart.

"What is it?" Ranveer couldn't frame his sentence clearly for he could see cold anger in Ishaani's eyes, something he had never seen before.

"I... uh... I..."

"Let me save you the trouble. Is it about the library being shut down?" Ranveer gasped and instantly understood the reason behind Ishaani's sour mood, while the later stared at him sarcastically. Ranveer could hear Martin's words from earlier in the day ringing in his ears and he knew that Martin had been right.

"Ishaani, please. It's not like you think it to be." Ishaani curved her lips upside down in a mock impressed manner and Ranveer tore his gaze away from her icy ones.

"Oh really? Then please explain yourself. I'd love to hear what you have to say for yourself."

"Ishaani, we all made a mistake. But you must understand-" Ishaani's eyes suddenly flickered and Ranveer was glad to see the coldness leave them.

"Look, this can wait. I want to know about the verdict first. What happened?" Ranveer gave Ishaani a heartbreaking look before he whispered slowly.

"We lost. The library will be shutting down next month."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Hell Hath No Fury like A Woman Scorned**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani stared at Ranveer dumbfounded for a few minutes before he walked up to her. Ishaani let herself crumble completely, as her knees buckled below her and tears escaped her eyes openly. Ranveer caught hold of her and pulled her into his arms, mentally heaving a sigh of relief that Ishaani didn't push him away. She held on to him for some time before she slowly separated herself from him. Ranveer averted his gaze from her own and Ishaani finally found her voice.

"Look at me." Ranveer looked up at her she gave him a pained look that shattered his heart. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I'm sorry. I know I should have told you this much, much before. But I couldn't. I just wanted to-"

"Protect me?" Ranveer gave her a guilty look and she sighed, letting a few more tears drop from her eyes. "Sorry isn't going to be enough. Not this time."

"Ishaani, please. You know I didn't mean to-"

"Mean to what, Ranveer? Hurt me? Hide the truth from me? Ranveer, the fact that the library shut down isn't that much of a blow to me as much as the fact that you kept the truth hidden."

"Ishaani, I-"

"I know that you gave in your best to save the library. We all make mistakes and I know that more than anyone else. But hiding the truth from me was not acceptable. It simple isn't."

"Ishaani, I never told you the truth because I wanted to find the perfect time to break the news to you. Trust me."

"I _trusted_ you. I trusted you to tell me the truth at the right time. But when was that right time going to come, Ranveer? After everything was over?"

"Ishaani, please. Don't do this again. Please."

"Don't do this again? I think there was a reason why we started our story again. We were supposed to learn from our mistakes, not make the same ones again!"

"Ishaani, don't say like that! Please... we've worked far too hard over this. Don't say stuff like that!"

"Don't say stuff like that? You think I enjoy doing this?! Ranveer, you should know of all people how it feels to be kept away from the truth!" Ranveer looked at her painfully and spoke desperately.

"Ishaani, I'm sorry. Please, just give me another chance... please... please..." Ranveer couldn't complete his statement and Ishaani turned herself away from him.

"You don't understand what you've done to me, Ranveer. You gave me hope that we would never do the mistake that we did back then. And you snatched that hope away again. Why, Ranveer? Why couldn't you have just told me?"

"I tried to."

"You didn't try enough."

"I don't know what to do! I tried to... to set things right! I thought that maybe it wouldn't get this bad! But now what am I supposed to do?! How do I make this up?

"You needed to trust me once, Ranveer, _once_. All this time, you kept asking me whether I trusted you, but the main mistake that you made was by not trusting me enough." Ranveer looked at her desperately, his eyes gazing into her own.

"I trust you. More than anything or anyone else."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" When Ranveer stood silently, Ishaani turned around and caught his collar, her eyes fiercely locked to his own. "I want an answer, Mr. Vaghela! I'm your bloody wife! And if anyone had the right to know about this, it was me!"

"I know I screwed up bad. But please... you've got to understand!" Ishaani stood silent for a couple of minutes, after which she simply sighed and took her hands off from Ranveer's collar.

"Ranveer, we both need time to deal with this." Ranveer understood the dismissal of the topic and simply sighed, as Ishaani turned her back on him once again.

"If time is what you want, you can have it. As much as you want. Just don't make it too late, alright?"

Ishaani nodded her head and Ranveer left her room, feeling worse than ever.

* * *

The next day, Ranveer and Ishaani both sat silently on the table, having their breakfast as Martin served them along with cracking a bit of jokes here and there. Martin's spirit had returned back ever since his patch up with Claudine and he tried his best to cheer up both Ranveer and Ishaani, while the latter two sat solemnly, occasionally letting out a small chuckle at his joke.

Ranveer had narrated the entire scenario to Martin and the latter had consoled him, patiently listening to him speak while Ranveer poured out all of his fears and unsaid emotions. Martin and Claudine had decided to remain on neutral parties, trying to help both reconcile rather than pick sides.

Martin was surprised that Ishaani made small conversation with Ranveer, once their breakfast was done, over the library but he soon realized that she spoke only on professional terms and nothing more. Ranveer too realized this and felt grateful that Ishaani was atleast making little conversation rather than cutting him out totally.

However, by the end of the day, Ranveer realized that he would rather than Ishaani turn her face away from him and cut him out rather than this overly normal conversation. Ranveer voiced his thought out to Ishaani in the night, with her barely acknowledging him throughout that time and she barely spoke a word to him at all.

The next day onwards, Ranveer noticed that Ishaani did not acknowledge him at all and all of Martin's and Claudine's attempts went futile. On the other hand, Ishaani barely spoke to Martha and the latter bore her silent treatment for two days before she cracked down and Ishaani let go of her cold anger and hugged her, calling it a truce between them.

Things however remained the same between Ranveer and Ishaani and no matter what Martha, Martin and Claudine did, they rubbed no effect over the two of them. Unable to bear Ishaani's cold disappointment and his old insecurities cropping up suddenly, Ranveer confronted Ishaani a week later, wanting to sort out their issue openly but all it did was result in things deteriorating more than improving. Ranveer stopped trying to make conversation with her after that day and both of them now refused to acknowledge each other on the whole.

The library received the official notice after 10 days of the verdict, along with orders to set the financial affairs into order. The books were to be left intact and the library just the same. Ishaani glared at the notice for several minutes before she flung it away, sitting on the chair with her head in her palms and tears flowing freely after the evening of the verdict. Ranveer returned home late that night, when Martin met him at the door.

"What happened Martin? How come you are waiting up this late when I told you to be off to bed?"

"_Monsieur_, its _madame_." Ranveer's faces turned into an irritated twitch and scowled.

"What about her?"

"The official notice came today from the court." Ranveer's features faltered and he gave Martin a guilty look.

"Is she alright?"

"Not really, _monsieur_. Claudine is with her right now. She tried to speak to her in the evening too, but _madame_ was most disturbed. Plus the spat between the two of you four days back didn't work any better. Claudine wanted to give her a sedative, but _madame_ strongly refused. _Monsieur_, I know that _madame_ shouldn't even be this upset, but she isn't wrong either."

"Martin, I can't believe you'd say this."

"_Monsieur,_ remember when Claudine and I weren't talking, you told me that Claudine had the right to be upset with me and my decision because she was my wife?" Ranveer nodded his head and Martin continued. "It is the same over here too, _monsieur_. _Madame_ is upset. She has the right to be upset. But _monsieur_, please do not let ego come in between the two of you. The two of you have found happiness with each other after so long. _Monsieur_, why don't you go and talk to madame? _Please_?"

Ranveer gave him a deep look and nodded his head slowly after pondering over Martin's words.

"Alright."

Martin nodded as Ranveer made his way to Ishaani's room. He gently swung it open without making noise and what he saw broke his heart into a thousand pieces. Ishaani lay curled on the floor, a frame clutched to her chest, while she sobbed unabashedly. Claudine sat by her side, trying to make her understand, but in vain.

Ranveer felt his world dissolve into a fusion of emotions when he saw what he had done to her. Unable to see her this broken, he made to leave the room, when he heard her speak to Claudine.

"God please... please spare me from the pain. I don't want to hurt this bad. I don't want to hurt him this bad. But I can't help it. I saw everything crumble to dust five years back when I lost Papa. I didn't want to do this to him. Please ease my plain... please."

"Ishaani, you don't have to do this. You don't have to punish both of yourselves."

"I know, I can't help it. You know, my dad loved me a lot. When he faced his financial crisis, he kept it all away from us. We didn't have clue about what was actually going on until he died. It was the next day of his death that we found out that we had gone broke. Everything was lost and we were all homeless. I saw my world collapse that day, Claudine. And I see it collapsing the same way today. Ranveer tells me not to re-open old wounds from the past, but what should I do when my past is standing right before my eyes in a deja vu?

Ranveer turned his face away in shame as he felt tears spring in his eyes. He felt as though he had fallen high from his horse of pride, and his broken back was his ego that was crushed brutally after the pain he saw Ishaani in. He felt as though someone had slapped him awake, the harsh reality of how much his actions had hurt Ishaani facing him face-first, his mind staggering under the humongous grief and regret that hit him like a whiplash.

He walked away from her room silently, glad that neither Ishaani nor Claudine had noticed his presence and headed to the living room, where Martin stood worriedly. Martin saw Ranveer descend from the staircase and walked up to him swiftly, but before he could say anything, Ranveer silently made his way out from the house, stopping by only to give Martin a few set of instructions.

"Martin, please have Claudine give Ishaani a sedative. She needs it right now. And if you can have it, have Claudine sleep in her room as well for the night."

"But _monsieur_, you-"

"I need to think straight, Martin. And I can't do that anymore. I need some time and I need to get away from here."

"_Monsieur_, it's pouring outside. You'll fall ill." Ranveer gave him a blank look before he spoke hoarsely.

"Any place is better than here, Martin."

"But _monsieur_-"

"_Please_." Martin pursed his lips as he could sense that Ranveer was extremely disturbed. He only handed Ranveer his overcoat and an umbrella, both of which Ranveer refused.

"_Monsieur_, please atleast have your overcoat on. The night is chilly and it's a very stormy night."

"I just need a walk, Martin. You know how it works wonders for me."

"Please take the car atleast, _monsieur_." Ranveer shook his head and before he could speak anything else, Ranveer walked out from the front door, his mind blaring with the words that Ishaani had spoken as her prayer.

He walked along the road silently as he remembered their last conversation, that had turned much brutal than he had thought. He realized how poorly he had handled their situation, being hasty and hot-headed rather than calm and understanding. He had spoken to her unreasonably that day, telling her how she never wanted their relationship to go smoothly and no matter what he did, she always had something to hold against him.

He remembered the look of shock and disgust etched on her features as she heatedly retorted back that he wasn't her Ranveer anymore, because her Ranveer would never talk to her like that, nor would put his mistakes over other people's head. He could now see what made her so upset, given that she had been through a similar phase back when his Mota Babuji had passed away and Ishaani had no clue about the losses he had faced only till after his death.

He could feel the pain in her voice shatter his heart every time his mind replayed her conversation with Claudine that he so wished that he had not overheard. He couldn't understand what to do to make her feel better, for she wouldn't let him close to her yet wouldn't let him out of her sight as well. He felt his feet come to a halt suddenly as he felt his restrain crack finally, the strain from the last one month claiming him in its entirety.

His knees buckled and he felt them crash on the road, his body wrecked in heavy sobs and his mind begging for forgiveness from the Almighty. He had come to a cul-de-sac where he no longer knew how to go ahead. He had tried and tried to set things right between himself and Ishaani, but no matter what he did, fate always won the ultimate hand.

He wanted to pull Ishaani into his arms, assuring her that everything would be alright. But in that moment, he was the one who wanted to be assured, for he felt all his positivity drain out of him that was only replaced by an unknown dread he could not explain. He felt like he trying to hold on to trickling sand and no matter how hard he tried, it kept slipping away. He wanted someone to tell him that things would go just the way he wanted it to be, but he knew that was impossible.

He wanted Ishaani to give him the security that she loved him, now more than ever, when things were going downhill much quicker than he could comprehend. He wanted Ishaani by his side, giving him hope that he would be able to save the one place where he gained a new life - a night where death seemed much easier to him than life. But he knew none of it was coming.

_Plunk, plunk, plunk._

The rain fell harder around him and he felt the rain brutally hit him with its full impact, as he sat in the same position staring away at nothing while his mind fought a thousand battles. He didn't know for how long he sat like that but he was only aware of the hope that was constantly draining out of him as the clouds thundered ominously.

He felt his mind slowly fall free of all thoughts as the rain lashed harder on his face, while he shivered being drenched to the skin. He wanted to sink into a calm bliss where no worry ever bothered him again and Ishaani's betrayal-filled eyes never reached him again. He shut his eyes several times to rid himself of his misery, but in vain. He shut it one last time, hoping that his prayer would be answered. The last thing that he remembered, however, was the next moment, where a pair of strong lights blared his eyes and an excruciating pain hit him whole, before everything was gone.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: The Plight of a Broken Heart**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani lay half-asleep on Claudine's lap when Martin swung the door open, his face a light green.

"Claudine, _madame_, please put on your coats. We need to go to the hospital right now." Ishaani got up swiftly from Claudine's lap and helped Claudine up slowly. Claudine stared at Martin's panic-stricken look and asked him worriedly.

"Martin, what's wrong?"

"It's _monsieur_. I got a call from the hospital right now stating that he has been in an accident. They've asked us to come over instantly." Ishaani stared at Martin dreadfully, before she walked towards him in a dream-like state.

"Please tell me this is some kind of joke... some kind of trick that you are playing on me so that I can get back on talking terms with Ranveer." Martin looked at her helplessly and shook her slowly.

"Madame please, this is no joke. Besides, why would I come at 1 in the night to joke about this, that too such poor humor about _monsieur_!" Ishaani stared at him stunned, before she muttered slowly.

"Get the car ready. We'll be down in five minutes." Ishaani and Claudine took their overcoats from the cupboard and headed down quickly, as Martin stood waiting for them by the door. Ishaani looked at Claudine and stopped her.

"Claud, I think you should stay back."

"Ishaani, don't be stupid. My friend is in there, and that too in God knows in what condition! How on Earth do you expect me to remain at home?!"

"But I-"

"Ishaani, we don't time to argue over this." Ishaani nodded her head and quickly took their place on the backseat, as Martin took over the driver's place and drove them to the hospital. They reached within 10 minutes, and immediately headed towards the reception. Having reeled out from her initial shock, Ishaani now overtook Martin's duty as leader and asked the receptionist quickly.

"Mr. Ranveer Vaghela."

"He's in the ER right now. Please go straight and proceed left."

"Thank you."

Ishaani, Martin and Claudine rushed over to the ER and saw the doctor leaving the room, a worried expression on his face. The doctor saw the three of them rush towards him and looked at them curiously.

"Are you Mr. Vaghela's family?"

"Yes."

"Then you must be Ishaani." Ishaani nodded at him and looked at the doctor puzzled. "Please come with me inside right now. I'll explain it out to you." The doctor entered the ER once again, and Ishaani followed him slowly, confused.

The doctor led her sideways and gave her a gown to wear, as he explained it out to her.

"Mr. Vaghela doesn't look very good at the moment. Needless to say, it has been a very bad accident and he's contracted a fever right now because of which he is hallucinating. We cannot afford to strap him or do anything else because his wounds are deep and any form of more physical damage could do harm."

Ishaani felt her heart shatter at the mention of Ranveer's condition and she barely managed to put out the next words.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to calm him down. He's been only taking your name, so we figured that you'll be able to do it." Ishaani gave him a lost nod and he looked at her keenly. "You are not haemophobic now, are you?"

"No... No."

"Then it's alright." Ishaani looked at him and he gave her an assuring nod. "Whenever you're ready." Ishaani nodded and the doctor led her slowly towards the main room. What she saw next made her die a hundred deaths at once and she felt herself nearly collapse.

Ranveer lay on the stretcher, in the shirt and trousers that they'd worn to work the same morning, bruised badly from every part that Ishaani could see. He was connected to several instruments and another doctor was trying to calm him slowly as Ranveer kept restlessly moaning Ishaani's name, not allowing any of the nurses to give him morphine.

Ishaani felt the doctor hold her arm to steady herself and Ishaani felt tortured seeing Ranveer in pain. She walked up towards Ranveer's side, her lips constantly quivering as she felt tears escape her eyes openly. She stood by him and gently clasped his hand in her own and whispered softly, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Ranveer."

Ranveer didn't respond to her and continued to toss a bit on the stretcher before Ishaani spoke a little louder this time.

"Ranveer."

Ranveer turned his head in her direction and their eyes met. Ishaani could see tears escape his eyes as well, as he weakly moaned her name again.

The doctor urged her to keep talking and she nodded her head, his mind afire with what was happening to her in that moment. She looked at Ranveer's bruised and bleeding knuckles and shut her eyes, the feeling of nausea overcoming her. She looked into Ranveer's eyes, trying to avert her eyes from the amount of blood that she could see all over him and spoke once again, this time her voice cracking.

"I'm here... I'll never let go of you... ever... I... I..." Ishaani felt her restraint break as she saw Ranveer's eyelids drooping. He stopped moaning her name and Ishaani felt his hand slip from underneath her own. The doctors both looked at the instruments and gasped and Ishaani unconsciously backed away from the table, as the two doctors spoke hurriedly.

"Can you hear me? If you can, blink once." Ishaani saw Ranveer blinking his eyes once. A bright light was shone into his eyes, and suddenly he was brought to his senses.

"His pupils are blown. Heart rate is 157 bpm." Ishaani could see a contorted expression of pain re-appear on his face. She could see that he was now absolutely spent and his hallucination had only worsened his condition. She saw that he could no longer keep his eyes open, and dragging in a breath was getting harder and harder for him.

"He's hypotensive. Son, stay with us," Ishaani could hear the other doctor's detached voice. She noticed that Ranveer was barely conscious anymore. She tore her face away from his own and turned her attention towards the heart monitor.

"He's entering hypovolemic shock. We need a blood transfusion, stat! Come on, son..." Ishaani noticed that Ranveer was no longer responding to anything the doctors were doing and felt her own heart beat irregularly.

15 minutes later, Ishaani left the room, her mind blank and her heart numb. Martin and Claudine both gasped as they saw the blood on her hands and clothes. Martin walked up to Ishaani and asked her worriedly.

"_Madame_, what happened?" When Ishaani remained silent for several minutes, Claudine walked up to her and shook her shoulders roughly.

"Ishaani don't just stand there like that! Say something!" Ishaani was barely aware of what was happening to her anymore before she felt the words slip away from her lips.

"He... he flat-lined."

Martin and Claudine gave out cries of disbelief. Ishaani stared at Martin blankly for a few moments before she felt herself collapse into his arms, her mind fading away into an abyss.

* * *

Ishaani felt a blinding white light hit her face as she opened her eyes, his mind confused. She shut her eyes against the offensive light and braced herself this time, before she pushed them open again.

She could feel the sanitized essence of her surroundings and realized that she was in one of the rooms. She couldn't recollect what had happened that could have brought her here, but she felt tired and in shock, both of which she could not place anywhere.

She turned her head to see Claudine sitting by her side and the latter smiled.

"He's alive." Ishaani stared at Claudine confused before her memory started unclogging itself, the incidents of the past few hours returning back to her. She stared at Claudine in shock.

Before she could say anything, Martin entered the room with the doctor who had taken Ishaani to the ER earlier. The doctor walked up to her and raised her bed, so that she was in a half-seated position.

"You and your husband gave us all a real fright over here. How do you feel?"

"How do you think I must feel?" The doctor gave her an apologetic look and sighed.

"I've been pretty rude so let me introduce myself." Claudine rolled her eyes at him and spoke quickly.

"Phillipe, just get to the point. She isn't going to worry about introductions right now."

"You've got a point there. Alright, I'll get straight down to business." Ishaani raised an eyebrow in his direction and he spoke once again, this time his tone strictly professional.

"When Ranveer was brought in, he'd lost so much blood that his heart could no longer pump enough to his body. He'd also evidently been in the rains for some time once he met with an accident that sped up the infection rate, which affected how his system responded to the traumatic bleeding. Instead of stopping it, it was trying to bleed it out. He's gone into hypovolemic shock, and it's very serious. He's undergone cardiac arrest, so he's been moved to the ICU. We've managed to ease him out of the shock, but he's still on life support. We've done as much as we can."

Martin and Claudine looked at him solemnly and Ishaani gave the doctor a blank look.

"Will he... live through this?"

"Uh..."

"Uh? That's it? That's all that you can tell me?!" Ishaani took to the offensive and was about to continue when Claudine caught hold of her hand. Ishaani looked at her angrily and Claudine spoke authoritatively.

"Let him finish." Ishaani looked back to the doctor, who looked unperturbed by her behavior and continued.

"Let me be honest with you. He doesn't look good and his chances are pretty slim. We are doing the best we can." Ishaani shook her head vehemently and glared at him.

"That's not good enough. Not _nearly_ good enough." The doctor gave her a sympathetic look and sighed.

"Mrs. Vaghela, I can understand that you are in shock right now. But please, don't lose hope so soon. We are trying our best." Ishaani nodded her head slowly and Ishaani asked him slowly.

"Can we see him?" The doctor gave her question a good thought before he replied.

"No... Not right now." Claudine perked her head up surprised and asked.

"Why not, Phillipe?"

"Claudine, you and Martin can go see him. Mrs. Vaghela has just recovered from a shock, so I'd suggest she take some rest before she goes to see him. Ishaani was halfway through an argument before both Martin and Claudine glared at her and she fell silent. She looked at the doctor and spoke grudgingly.

"Fine." The doctor nodded his head satisfactorily and spoke.

"Take some rest now. I'll discharge you in a couple of hours."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: The Glint of Someday**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

It was dark, but he assumed that it was because his eyes were closed. He knew that he was asleep a moment ago, and dreaming. Although what his dream was about, he couldn't recall. Now he was hovering on the verge of consciousness. He was almost awake, but he wasn't quite aware of his surroundings yet.

As he was coming to, he could start to hear a rhythmic electronic beep, and a slow, almost silent dripping sound. It comforted him in a way, but he couldn't quite place what the sound belonged to or why it soothed him so much. He then felt his body and all he could think about was what had happened to him that had caused him this much agony. He wasn't in any real pain, but he was immensely sore, his head was buzzing slightly, and he couldn't move.

Ranveer opened his eyes only to be assaulted with a blindingly sterile white. It was so bright that he immediately closed them against the offensive light. He waited a moment this time bracing himself, and opened his eyes again. He blinked a couple of times to clear his vision, and found himself to be lying in a bed. It was obvious to him that he was in a hospital room.

He looked around the small room. There was a heart monitor and an IV drip to his right. A window with the blinds open and he could see it was day outside. He tried to get up, but it was no use, given that his body was weak and tired. Ranveer then saw a doctor standing over him, a grim look over his face. His features softened however, the moment he saw Ranveer awake. He gave him a smile and spoke not unkindly.

"You're really lucky to be alive, son. Someone up there must really like you." The doctor left the room and five minutes later, Ranveer saw Ishaani standing by the doorpost, her arms crossed and a small smile on her face.

Ranveer felt an involuntary smile cross his face and instantly regretted it as he felt a spasm of pain shoot up. His shut his eyes quickly and wait for the pain to abate before he opened them again.

"Hey." Ranveer felt his voice crack and sound grated while his throat felt parched. He wondered when he had last had some water. Ishaani entered the room and sat by his side, immediately taking his hand into her own. She raised the bed a little higher, so that Ranveer was more comfortable and she smiled.

"Hey." Ishaani stared at Ranveer for a few moments, before she gently took off his oxygen mask.

"Can you breathe without it?" Ranveer nodded his head slowly and she noticed his slight discomfort in speaking. She picked up a cup of water in her hand from the nightstand and made him drink some water through the straw. He felt the water soothe his throat and smiled, this time the pain not that evident. Ishaani smiled back at him and kept the cup aside.

"Better?"

"Loads." Ranveer could get the words out much easier this time and they sounded less grated. Ranveer looked outside the window and saw the sun streaming in the room. He looked at Ishaani once again and asked slowly. "What day is it?"

"Someday." Ranveer smiled at Ishaani and spoke slowly.

"This someday was definitely not a part of my bucket list."

"It wasn't on my own either." The two of them stared at each other for several minutes before Ranveer spoke again.

"How long has it been?" Ishaani looked at him painfully before she replied.

"Four days." Ranveer chuckled to himself slowly.

"That long, huh?" Ishaani glared at him and he turned solemn once again.

"Don't even get me started."

"Ishaani..." Ranveer couldn't continue his sentence as he felt a strong pain erupt in his arm and he shut his eyes, trying not to make a sound. He opened them a few moments later and saw Ishaani staring at him teary-eyed.

"Look at you..." Ishaani stroked his cheek gently and Ranveer felt a sharp pang in his heart.

"I was such an idiot."

"That you are. Why on Earth did you have to leave the house in the first place?!"

"I needed time to think."

"And kneeling in the middle of the road was the best way?" Ranveer smiled at her remark sheepishly and Ishaani felt her lips twitch.

"There were better ways, I admit." Ishaani stared at Ranveer, her eyes ablaze before she spoke again.

"I wanted to be mad at you forever."

"I deserved it." Ishaani felt a tear fall from her eye before Ranveer tried to raise his arms slowly. He managed to bring them to arm level, even though he winced a lot and Ishaani fell into his arms, making sure not to hurt him too much. Ranveer winced as Ishaani's head made contact with his chest, but he didn't mind.

"I don't know what I'd have done." Ranveer could hear the fear and helplessness in her voice and felt ashamed for putting her through so much. Ishaani separated from the hug some time later and both of them smiled at each other.

"So we're good?"

"We're good."

Before they could say anything, the doctor entered the room and broke up their party.

"Hello, Mr. Vaghela. How are you feeling?" Ranveer rolled his eyes and the response left his lips before he even intended to say it.

"Splendid." The doctor cocked up his eyebrow and gave him a sharp look.

"Hmmm... that means you don't have any mental damage, which is good. Though try this cheek with me again, and I'll personally make sure to have you stuck up over here for another week." When Ranveer gave the doctor a terrified look, the doctor smirked. "Good. Now let's get to the serious part. How do you feel?"

"My arm hurts a lot and I feel extremely sore."

"Well, that was to be expected. We had to give you 25 stitches up your arm. We were hoping that you weren't having any internal bleeding and I'm glad that you didn't. You had an infection because of your wounds being exposed in the rains for quite some time, but we've managed to overcome that. Your MRI scans are all clear, though you did have a slight swelling, but that's normal in such cases. Your X-Rays also are pretty normal thankfully, except for sprains in your ankle and your left wrist. But those should heal pretty quickly enough. You've had quite a lot of bruises over your chest though, but luckily, they aren't deep. Unfortunately, it's going to hurt for some time. You've had a blood transfusion as well. But your vitals are pretty much normal now, so that's the good part."

Ranveer looked at the doctor dazed and only muttered an 'Oh'. The doctor looked at him apologetically and said.

"I know that's a lot of information to take in." Ranveer nodded his head sheepishly and the doctor continued. "I'll be giving you some morphine. That should lessen the pain for now."

"Morphine? I don't want any morphine! I just woke up!"

"Ranveer, you are in no position to throw tantrums around here." Ranveer strained his neck towards the door and saw Claudine standing over there, her hip over her hand. Ranveer smiled at Claudine happily before his looked faltered.

"I'm fine. Really! See... _ouch_!" Ranveer tried to raise his injured arm up too quick and felt a sharp jab of pain in it. The doctor quickly rushed up to check whether he had pulled any of his stitches and heaved a sigh of relief that Ranveer hadn't. Claudine glared at Ranveer as she came to stand beside Ishaani.

"You are _not_ fine!" Ishaani backed away as Claudine and Ranveer both glared at each other.

"Hey! You can't boss me here. You're not even my case doctor!"

"These things require brains, not being your case doctor. But I'm not going to argue with you now, seeing that you aren't in a position for it. The nurse will be getting the morphine and coming." Before Ranveer could react, both the doctor and Claudine left the room and Ishaani smiled at him.

"It's for your own good, you know." Ranveer looked at her, annoyed at this turn of events, but couldn't help smiling at her. The nurse entered two minutes later, as Ishaani sat by Ranveer's side, taking his hand into her own once again. Ranveer saw the nurse fill the syringe, squirt it out for any bubbles and inject the plunger into the IV.

Ranveer could feel the drugs wriggle its way into his system and felt his vision begin to blur. The nurse slipped over the oxygen mask on his face once again and Ranveer felt the extra air more than welcome. He turned his head in Ishaani's direction, wanting to get one more answer before his world faded away.

"Ishaani... promise me that you'll be here when I open my eyes again." Ishaani looked at him and smiled.

"Promise." Ranveer smiled at her blur form as he felt his vision go topsy-turvy, before he felt himself sink back into the same, calm abyss once again.

* * *

Ranveer felt a jerk in his body as he felt his eyes open suddenly, a shriek escaping from his lips. Ishaani, who was half asleep on his hand, got up suddenly and looked at Ranveer in shock.

Ranveer looked about the room in panic, his mind unable to grasp anything, He felt tears and sweat alike on his face and he saw Ishaani's face hovering over him, her eyes panic-stricken.

"Ranveer, what's wrong?" Ishaani stroked his hair continuously and Ranveer stared at her blankly. When he didn't reply, Ishaani looked at the heart monitor and then at him wide-eyed. "I'm calling the doctors... wait. Hang in there, okay?"

Ishaani made to leave, but Ranveer caught her hand.

"No... No... I'm fine. I'm alright." Ranveer took deep breaths and stared at Ishaani while the latter relaxed a bit as she saw his heart beats return back to normal. She gently raised the bed up for him again and he sighed. She took his hand into her own and rubbed it gently.

"What was that about?"

"Had a nightmare about... about my accident." Ishaani stared at him unsure, but took her seat again.

"The doctor did tell me that something like this could happen." Ranveer gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever heard of post-traumatic stress disorder?" Ranveer's eyes widened in understanding and he nodded his head.

"Oh, _that_." Ishaani understood his hesitance and asked him cautiously.

"You didn't have it the last time though, did you?" Ranveer shook his head, his voice bitter with resentment.

"No... We were pretty occupied with all the _other_ stuff." Ishaani quickly made to change the topic, before Ranveer could get more distressed.

"It doesn't necessarily mean that you have it this time. Nightmares about the accident are bound to occur." Ranveer looked at her and blinked his eyes sleepily. He looked outside the window and saw that the sun was still out, sighing in relief that it had barely been a couple of hours only.

"How long have I been dozing out for?"

"You slept through the night." Ranveer's eyes widened in shock and he looked at her, surprise evident on his face.

"_What!?_ But I didn't realize..."

"Yeah." Ranveer looked stunned before Ishaani cleared her throat and continued. "The doctors did a full check up in the morning. They are pretty happy with your progress, which is why they took you off the extra oxygen. They say that if things go on the same way, you'll be discharged in three days, but with fifteen days of strict bed rest." Ranveer's face brightened and Ishaani couldn't help but smile.

"Great! I can't wait to get shot of here. I'm bored of this place already." Ishaani cocked her eyebrows up shrewdly and smirked.

"Well, seeing as this is entirely your fault, I don't see why you are complaining now." Ranveer glared at her and she smiled.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Ishaani stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed, making sure not to hurt his chest in any way. Ishaani supported her head on her elbow and stared at Ranveer hard for a few moments, before she spoke again.

"By the way, how do you feel now?"

"I'm still sore but I feel much better." Ishaani nodded her head and looked at him curiously.

"Can you raise your arm without straining it a lot?"

"Let me see." Ranveer raised his arm, this time much more smoothly, wincing only slightly.

"Good. Can you catch this?" Ishaani handed him a Styrofoam cup and he caught it. Ishaani caught his hand so that it didn't cause him too much strain. "Just hold it like this for a minute."

Ranveer stared at her confused as she put a straw in it and sipped the water.

"Sunny, what are you doing?" Ishaani smiled at the mention of him calling her 'Sunny' and looked up once again.

"Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you. I was getting my fast broken with your hands." Ranveer gave her a puzzled look.

"_Fast_? What fast?" Ishaani looked a little unsure before she replied.

"It was Karva Chaut two days back." Ranveer gave her a blank look even though several contrasting emotions rose in his chest at the sound of it. Ishaani looked at him steadily and he replied lamely.

"But I don't understand."

"Don't understand what?"

"Why didn't you break your fast already?" Ishaani smiled at him understandingly.

"You were asleep. I was waiting for you to wake up." Ranveer shook his head and Ishaani looked bewildered

"That's not my point. I was awake yesterday. You could have broken your fast yesterday itself. Why didn't you break it?" Ishaani gave him an embarrassed look.

"It's silly really." Ranveer gave her a deadpan look and Ishaani averted her gaze away from his own.

"Stop playing riddles." Ishaani let out a frustrated sigh and Ranveer smiled triumphantly.

"Alright fine. I don't celebrate Karva Chaut the usual way. I always break my fast at the end of the second day of being hungry." Ranveer's smile faltered and was replaced with a puzzled look.

"Why?"

"It's because you broke my fast the first time after two days. That's why." Ranveer shut his eyes in shame at the memory of the part where he was supposed to break her fast.

"I was a git."

"Back then or now?" Ranveer gave her a serious look and she shrugged her shoulders. Now that he looked at her closely, he realized that Ishaani looked miserable. Her hair was quite unkempt, her eyes had bags and circles under them and her cheeks had sunk in a bit more than before. Her cheeks were blotchy and she looked like she would faint anytime.

"Whichever way you take it. But Sunny, you need to go home. You look terrible."

"Atleast I still look better than you." Ranveer gave her a serious look and she sobered down instantly.

"Sunny, go have something to eat atleast. Besides, you didn't have to do any of this madness." Ishaani could sense the discomfort in Ranveer's voice and spoke lovingly.

"Sweetie, I've been doing the same thing for the three years when we were apart as well. On the day of Karva Chaut, I usually spend the whole day in the church, praying for your good health and success and the next day, I go about with my work. So I'm used to staying hungry for two days straight, don't worry. This time, it got a bit prolonged because I was hoping that you'd wake up by yesterday evening, but you woke up right now. But still, I'm alright."

Ranveer gave her a guilty look and turned his face away from her own. Ishaani looked worried and spoke softly.

"Ranveer, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? _Wrong_? I've wronged you in _every_ way!" Ishaani shook her head in disapproval and Ranveer refused to meet her eyes.

"Ranveer, look at me. _Please_." Ranveer grudgingly turned to look at her again and Ishaani noticed that he was teary -eyed. She wiped away the tears from his eyes and spoke lovingly. "Ranveer, please don't forget your own first aid rules. You have a lot of physical wounds to suffice without breaking out with the mental ones as well. Besides, I was just as wrong over here. We were both right and wrong in our own way and now we're good. So let that be, please. Keep that mistake as a keepsake for the future, not something that we hold grudges for the rest of our lives. Get it?"

Ranveer nodded his head unsatisfactorily, his retort about his first aid rules dying away on his lips as Ishaani proceeded. Ishaani got the gist of what Ranveer wanted to say however and smiled.

"I'll be going home for a while now. Take some rest. Martin should be here in a few minutes." Ranveer nodded his head and Ishaani got up. She bent over him and placed a soft kiss over his forehead, making sure not to disturb his bandage. He smiled as she kissed his cheek next and separated.

"I hope this medicine was more effective than the ones the doctor gives."

Ranveer smiled and felt himself drift away in his sleep once again as Ishaani left the room, her mind finally at ease.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: The Real Picture**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer felts his eyes open again, this time easily given that the room was dark. He looked outside the window and was surprised to see that night had already fallen. He turned his head slowly to the other side to see Martin sitting on the chair, lost in thought. The moment Martin saw Ranveer awake, he gave him a small smile and patted his knuckle.

"It's good to see you awake, _monsieur_." Ranveer smiled at Martin, while he yawned softly.

"It's good to see you too, Martin." Martin nodded his head in an acknowledging smile and Ranveer stared out of the window. "What time is it?"

"It's 3 in the morning." Ranveer turned to Martin and the latter chuckled at Ranveer's reaction.

"Good Lord! The nurse didn't end up giving me any morphine now, did she?"

"Oh no. The doctor was happy that you fell asleep naturally. He says that you're vitals are steadily improving and with sufficient rest, you should be up and about by 15 days."

"But why didn't you go home, Martin? You didn't have to stay up all night."

"_Monsieur_, you are my friend and guide. I cannot forget that you had stayed with me the whole night in the hospital when I was nobody for you." Ranveer smiled at him and sighed.

"It's funny how times change now, isn't it?" Martin smiled and adjusted the bed for him so that he was at ease. Ranveer looked about the room and asked Martin. "Claudine and Ishaani are home now, aren't they?"

"Yeah. I sent them both home. _Madame_ has had her food and is resting. Claudine needed some rest as well and the doctor was pretty surprised to see her taking this much stress given that it's almost the end of her second trimester now." Ranveer nodded his head and Martin continued. "_Madame_ Brandt had come to visit you yesterday as well as today, but you were asleep, so she is now lodging with _madame_ and Claudine for the night."

Ranveer nodded his head and remained silent for several minutes, before he realized that Martin wanted to say something. He had a shrewd understanding of what was coming his way and sighed.

"Do you want to tell me something, Martin?" Martin looked afraid to voice his thoughts yet there was a decisive look on his face. Ranveer let out an impatient huff. "Oh don't be shy. Just say it."

"I'm disappointed in you, _monsieur_."

"Welcome to the club." Martin looked abashed and Ranveer chuckled for some time. Sobering down, he looked at Martin and gave him a deep, meaningful look. "I thought you would understand."

"From what I've understood, you handled the situation most poorly."

"And how is that so?"

"I told you to take the car with you. Yet you decided to go walking." Ranveer gave him a bewildered look.

"How is that handling the situation poorly? Besides, I told you I needed time to think!"

"And kneeling in the middle of the road was the best way?" Ranveer gave him an outraged look and Martin recoiled under his gaze.

"You all have got to stop using this question with me!" Martin took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"_Monsieur_, you don't understand. These four days have been harsh on all of us. But it has been the most on _madame_." Ranveer spoke defensively and Martin shook his head hopelessly.

"It's not like I did it on purpose."

"You didn't." Martin let out a frustrated sigh and continued, regretting bringing the point out. "_Monsieur_, you died in front of madame. _Again_." Ranveer looked at Martin stunned for a few minutes before he whispered.

"What?"

"Yeah. When you were brought here, you were hallucinating because of a fever. The doctors called _madame_ inside the ER to calm you down. You flat-lined at that time. The doctors managed to revive you back but the next three days were a roller-coaster ride for all of us until the doctor finally said that you were finally beginning to stabilize."

"But the doctor didn't mention anything about flat-lining!"

"That's because you weren't still quite stable when you first regained consciousness." Ranveer looked aghast and Martin gave him an apologetic look.

"But I still don't understand how it is my fault."

"_Monsieur_, the moment you flat-lined and _madame_ left the ER, she... she collapsed in my arms. It took the doctors ten minutes to finally find a pulse." Ranveer understood the implied meaning of Martin's statement and felt his heart stop for a minute. Martin looked at him cautiously, hoping that nothing too bad happened to him.

"But... but... I... I don't-"

"_Monsieur_, had the doctors not revived _madame_ on time, we could have lost her as well. It wasn't pleasant for me and Claudine to be grieving over the deaths of both of you mentally for those few minutes before the doctors told us otherwise."

"But Ishaani-"

"_Madame_ is taking it well so far, but I can see her restrain cracking now."

"What do you mean?"

"Once _madame_ overcame her shock, she has been like a pillar of support for all of us. If I must be honest with you,_ monsieur_, I wouldn't be wrong for me to say that in those four days, Claudine, _Madame_ Brandt and myself had all lost hope on you after some time. But _madame_ was optimistic and never lost hope. Not even once. She maintained the fact that she had fought death and tethered you back to life once, she would do it again. She continuously kept tabs with the doctors on your conditions and prayed day and night for your life. None of us wanted to be realistic with her and we all found a bit of hope when we saw how hard she tried to win back your life. And I'm happy to see that she succeeded. _Again_."

Ranveer let the facts wash over him and shut his eyes in despair.

"I never meant for her to suffer this much. Not at my cost."

"_Monsieur_, the circumstances are to be blamed here. You tried to your best to make her world a better place. That's life. But coming back to what I was saying, I realized that _madame_ had used too much of her strength in keeping you alive that it robbed her of her life as well."

"But I still don't-"

"Don't you see, monsieur? You created the same _deja vu_ for her that happened two years ago, with the two most painful memories of her life - one was lose her father and his company and the other was see you die, a memory that you know caused a huge amount of rash decisions to be made in the future."

"But I didn't intend it to be this harsh for the two of us."

"_Monsieur_, I know I have no right to say this as your butler," Ranveer glared at Martin at the mention of the word 'butler' and the latter continued hastily, "but I did warn you not to leave the house."

"And I kept thinking why you were so insistent."

"_Monsieur_, I have been with you for the past three years. In those three years, I knew that several nights you were halfway over the path of death, unable to handle the isolation and the assumption of _madame_ being dead. Those nights, you had a very manic glint about your eyes and I would always be afraid that you would do something reckless. Five nights ago, you had the same glint in your eye and I was only hoping that you wouldn't do something reckless. Unfortunately, you did."

"You make it sound as though I got myself hit up on purpose."

"You know I didn't mean that, monsieur. But I think you know what I'm trying to say." Ranveer sighed and spoke with a resignation in his voice.

"I know I have to make a lot of amends right now. And I know I have to rectify a lot of mistakes that have happened in these past fifteen days. And I know Ishaani is going to take a lot of handling and caring for to be done before things go back or rather, move ahead between us. And I do have it thought out. All I need now is to get out from this place." Martin smiled and patted Ranveer's hand again.

"I'm glad to see that you have given this a thought." Ranveer smiled and Martin continued. "I'm sorry to be so harsh with you, _monsieur_. I most sincerely apologize." Ranveer chuckled and Martin look flustered.

"Martin, the only thing you need to apologize is for knowing me too well. I still stick to the fact that you remember too much sometimes." Martin gave Ranveer an embarrassed look and the latter smiled. "But enough talk, you need to sleep. You look just as terrible as all the others looked." Martin nodded and walked over to the couch. He laid himself over it and sighed.

"Goodnight, _monsieur_."

"Goodnight, Martin." The room remained silent for some time before Ranveer spoke once again. "Martin?"

"_Oui, monsieur_?"

"Thank you having my back and looking out for me."

"_Toujours_. Until my last breath." Ranveer smiled to himself as he heard Martin snore lightly after some time and he shut his eyes once again, sleep claiming him almost instantly.

* * *

The next day, Martin and Ranveer were discussing random things when Martha entered the room, a smile on her face. Ranveer looked up and gave Martha a huge smile and the latter took a seat by his side. Martin made to get up but Martin spoke gently.

"Son, sit down." Martin gave Martha an awkward look and sat down. She smiled and turned her attention towards Ranveer.

"How are you doing?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders simply and smiled.

"Alright. I don't feel that sore anymore. How are you holding up?" Martha smiled plainly and replied, tiredness evident in her voice.

"I'm just fine. Went to the court and got a date." Ranveer eyes brightened up at the mention of the date and smiled happily.

"So the judge is ready then?"

"Oh yes." Ranveer smiled triumphantly and Martha spoke softly.

"You were really stupid to take my mistake on your head and you shouldn't have done it."

"Martha, what's done is done. Ishaani and I have sorted our issues out. So there is no point in bringing that up."

"But I-"

"Martha, drop it. And where are the girls, anywhere?"

"At home. Ishaani has a high temperature and can't get out of bed, so Claudine is taking care of her. Ishaani put up a good fight with me to come here and both of us wouldn't take no for an answer." Ranveer's smile from before faltered and was now replaced with a worried look.

"So how did you get her to agree with you?"

"I... uh... never mind. You aren't going to like this. But in my defense, Ishaani forced me to play my hand." Ranveer rolled his eyes and spoke out impatiently.

"Oh Martha, out with it."

"I told Ishaani as a last resort that if she wouldn't listen to me, she would have to prove it to me by walking till the door of her room. She didn't listen. She barely made it halfway through the door before she fainted." Ranveer stared at her aghast.

"What?!"

"She regained consciousness fifteen minutes later." Ranveer felt the breath get knocked out of him and asked hoarsely.

"Good Lord, what happened then?"

"She put up an even bigger tantrum, but Claudine handled her then."

"God, look at what poor Claudine has to go through." Ranveer shut his eyes in remorse and Martha looked apologetic.

"Ranveer, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do this to her but..."

"That's alright. I know why you did it anyway so no point trying to fool me." Martha gave him a smile and spoke gently.

"You are indeed an extraordinary man, Mr. Vaghela. I have never met a man of finesse and with a heart as giving as yours." Ranveer gave her a flustered look but it quickly turned into one of grave seriousness.

"Don't flatter me, Martha. I have made some of the most horrid mistakes of my life and Martin let me know one of them just last night." Martin and Martha shared a look of common understanding and Martha spoke again.

"Son, you can't go about blaming yourself for this. You haven't earned any brownie points with your stint, mind you. But what's done is done, as you said. So let that be and concentrate over healing Ishaani. And one more thing. I handed over her termination letter to her last night. It was standard procedure, you see. I was supposed to do it five days back, but given your accident and all the things that happened, I delayed it until last night. I hope it's alright with you."

"It's fine Martha. Besides, apart from me, she requires equal amount of bed rest for the stress and trauma I've given her." Martha nodded her head in approval and stroked Ranveer's cheek in a motherly fashion.

"I want you to utilize the leave I gave her in just the way it should be."

"Aye, aye, _capitaine_. Just let me get out of here so that I can heal the two of us properly."

Before Martha could reply back, the doctor entered the room and both Martha and Martin got up. The doctor smiled and walked up to Ranveer while both Martha and Martin went and sat on the couch. The doctor carried out his routine check-up and smiled after 15 minutes.

"Your progress is astounding, Mr. Vaghela. Your shoulder wound have been healing wonderfully and I think we'll take off the stitches in another five days. We'll be keeping you over here for another day, just to keep you under observation. If things look good, we'll discharge you tomorrow. But I still stick to the point that you will need fifteen days of complete rest. No strenuous work."

Ranveer gave the doctor an innocent nod and the doctor smiled back.

"It doesn't look like you're going to stay put though. But still, I'd prefer if you do really take some rest. Your wounds have been mostly healed, but the skin tissues are pretty raw still."

"Don't worry, doctor. I'll take full care of myself." The doctor nodded his head satisfactorily and spoke.

"Then I think you should be discharged by tomorrow."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: Glowing Glory**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The doctor discharged Ranveer the next day after a final body check-up. Ranveer entered the house, a warm smile on his face while Martin supported him partially. He met Claudine in the hallway, who had just woken up and she looked surprised.

"Ranveer! What... how did you... it's so good to see you back!" Claudine walked up to him and hugged him to how much her bump would permit, while making sure to not hurt Ranveer's chest. He smiled at her and looked around the house. Claudine smiled in understanding and spoke kindly. "She's asleep in her room."

Ranveer smiled at Claudine and made his way up to the room slowly. His legs felt wobbly after it's inactivity for a week and he could already feel his shoulder hurt. Sighing, he made his way up to Ishaani's room and swung it open slowly. He could not help himself from remembering the last time he had swung open the door and shuddered at the thought of it.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the room and felt a smile cross his face. Ishaani felt peacefully, her face looking slightly better than what he had seen her last. The curtains provided a peach-ish glow in the room and the colour only seemed to enhance her beauty. He gently sat by Ishaani's bed and stroked her hair.

She opened her eyes slowly, a smile crossing her lips at the way her hair was being caressed, before she opened them whole. She smiled at Ranveer sleepily, before her features quickly showed confusion, and she slowly propped herself up on her elbows.

"Ranveer? How-"

"Don't worry, it's me. You aren't imagining." Ishaani touched his bruised knuckle and gasped. Her sleep disappeared swiftly and her eyes were now alert, along with what Ranveer thought carried a bit of suspicion.

"But how did you... wait, did you run away from the hospital?" Ranveer laughed at her question whole heartedly, but regretted it instantly as he felt a spasm shoot up his chest. Ishaani stared at him intently before he replied.

"Ofcourse not. Got discharged today. Ask Martin if you don't believe me." Ishaani gave him a loving look and let her head fall back on her pillow, as Ranveer grazed her cheek softly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Wanted to give you a surprise." Ishaani smiled at Ranveer kissed her forehead. "You don't have a temperature as of now."

"Yeah. Claudine gave me a pretty strong dose. I'm alright now." Ranveer nodded his head and Ishaani got up again.

"Why'd you get up?"

"My sleep is up. Besides, it's after ages that you're on your feet. So, I want to spend time with you." Ranveer smiled and nodded his head.

"Alright. Change up and come to my room. I told Martin to get us both some breakfast." Ishaani nodded her head and got up slowly while Ranveer made his way back to his room.

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer sat in the latter's room, a serene calm in their minds as they'd finally finished having their breakfast. Both of them had a strong appetite, courtesy of not having any proper food for so many days and Martin was only happy to get them second and third helpings.

Martin cleared out the dishes and left the two of them alone, shutting the door behind him. Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other calmly for several minutes, before a phone call disrupted their silence. Ranveer picked it up and his features instantly relaxed, a small smile coming over his face. Ishaani stared at him confused, but soon realized that it was his new secretary from work. She felt irritated that his new secretary was calling him up and hounding him with work stress when it was barely two hours since he was discharged from the hospital.

Ranveer kept the phone down after a span of forty five minutes, during which his phone buzzed continuously, calls coming in from clients and employees alike. After his phone buzzed for the 25th time, Ishaani grabbed the phone angrily and switched it off.

"Ishaani! What are you doing, sweetie?"

"It's not even been three hours and you're going about as though you are all fit and fine."

"But I-"

"I wasn't finished. And what the heck was that monologue to Mr. Leonard about the whole 'I'll be joining from Monday' crap!?"

"Sunny, I do need to work, you know."

"You have to be on a 15 day bed rest. Joining work two days after getting discharged is not cool."

"Ishaani..."

"Don't you dare go all puppy eyes on me. Besides, you can't go to your office with three-quarters of a dozen wounds on your face and your arm in a sling. You even haven't got the stitches off yet and don't even get me started on the wound of your chest!"

"Sunny, relax! I'm getting the stitches off tomorrow, so I need to have the sling on just for today. And regarding my face, the cuts will go off. The chest ones are deep, I admit, but come on!" Ishaani glared at him for a few moments, before she huffed out.

"On your head be it, then."

"Oh come on! That's not fair!" Ishaani gave him a skeptical look and continued.

"You are certainly not going to work on Monday. And if you are, please take the express permission of Dr. Phillipe." Ranveer gave her an irritated look and he sighed.

"Fine, I'll join work on Wednesday," Ishaani made to argue but he raised his hand. "Sunny, I can't sit home for that long. I've already missed nearly 20 days of work because of our trip and now my accident. Sweetheart, it isn't professional." Ishaani gave him a grudging look before she sighed.

"Alright. But if you don't feel well enough-"

"I know, I'll take my leave. Happy?" Ishaani narrowed her eyes at him and he smiled.

"Not really, but I know you aren't going to take no for an answer either." Ranveer got up and gave Ishaani a kiss on her head, before he gently settled himself on the bed. Ishaani brought him his medicine and gave them to him, while the latter accepted it without any complaint. Ranveer smiled at her once he had the medicine and she return his smile, grazing his cheek lovingly leaving the room, happier than she felt in ages.

* * *

Ranveer woke up after some time, his eyes taking time to adjust itself in the golden glow of the room. He looked around and saw Ishaani standing by his wardrobe, admiring it with her hands on his hips. Ranveer propped himself up slowly and Ishaani turned behind, a smile on her face.

"Hey." Ishaani looked at him lovingly and replied.

"Hey."

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a bit." Ishaani nodded her head and shut the wardrobe. Ranveer looked at his wardrobe in confusion and asked curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Shifting my clothes to your wardrobe." Ranveer nodded his head absent-mindedly before the words registered.

"Oh right... wait, what?" Ishaani gave him an embarrassed look and spoke quickly.

"Yeah. I'd been thinking about it for some time. We are technically courting each other and are married as well, so I don't think I'd have a problem sharing a room with you. I'm sorry I didn't ask you though, but given that you were the one who suggested the idea to me in Vegas, I figured that you'd be okay with it."

Ranveer stared at her confused, remembering how her had once cautiously mentioned the same point to Ishaani in Vegas and remembered how awkward she had become. He had quickly changed the topic saying that it was just something that he wanted to know so that he could determine whether she was on par with him in their relationship or not. He now stared at Ishaani, his eyes reading her own, while the latter tried to avert them quickly, only to fail miserably. Ranveer smiled after a few moments, her eyes only confirming the theory he had in mind and he smiled.

"Well, I certainly have no objection." Ishaani smiled, unsure of whether Ranveer had learnt her real motive or no, but still heaved a sigh of relief nonetheless.

"Good." She came and sat beside him, gently letting him scoot her into his arms. She smiled as she felt his arms circle her back, while her head slowly rested on his chest. Ranveer felt a spasm of pain at the contact of her head on his chest but bit his knuckle, bit making a sound. He knew that Ishaani needed the assurance of his safety and his presence and her plight was much stronger than his pain.

Ishaani and Ranveer separated, a peaceful smile on both of their faces, before Ishaani spoke softly.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Ishaani smiled and Ranveer gently cupped her cheek, pulled her face closer to his. Ishaani smiled as she found her lips barely apart from Ranveer's own ones.

"Didn't the doctor tell you about not doing anything strenuous?" Ishaani whispered softly and Ranveer smirked, whispering back.

"He did tell me to take my medicines on time." Ranveer noticed the same look in Ishaani's eyes that she had the first time they kissed. Ishaani gently slipped her finger over his lip and made a little more distance.

"This can wait." Ranveer still smiled at her pleasantly and she hugged him again, making sure not to hurt him. "God, I've missed you so much." Ranveer let Ishaani relinquish her hold over him. Somehow, he felt his pain slip away when she embraced him. Embracing her back, they let the room's glowing glory encircle them whole, as they both felt a strange emotion overtake them.

Separating from their embrace, Ishaani kissed his forehead, before she brought out the medicine box and smiled mischievously.

"Since you did say that you wanted your medicines at time." Ranveer pouted at her childishly and Ishaani chuckled. She handed over the tablets to him and he took them grudgingly, making faces at the sight of them. Gulping them all in one go, he handed back the glass of water to Ishaani and smiled, while she stroked his hair.

"Take a nap if you want. I'll make you your lunch and wake you up."

* * *

Ishaani gave Ranveer his lunch an hour later and sat with him the entire afternoon, discussing trivial matters. They hadn't got any time to have long, endless discussions about trivial matters ever since their trip from Vegas, and both of them enjoyed it. They could not deny that there was a bit of awkwardness between them and they were taking time to come to terms with what had happened between them, but let things unwind on its own.

Martin rang up on the intercom and asked Ishaani whether she wanted him to bring dinner on top and she replied in the affirmative. Martin entered the room 20 minutes later, two helpers behind him. He sat with Ranveer and Ishaani for 20 minutes before he quickly made his way down to Claudine, remembering that she had to have her medicines.

Ishaani and Ranveer had their dinner in silence, enjoying each other's company. Martin had kept the food extremely light and both of them ate to their heart's content. The helpers cleared out the dishes once they were done and Ishaani made Ranveer sit on the bed.

"Sunny, you mind passing me my novel?"

"Ranveer, you aren't supposed to strain your eyes." Ranveer rolled his eyes at her and she growled. Removing the book from the side table, she handed him a copy of _Gone with the Wind _and he smiled merrily.

"Thanks."

"I'll just get changed and come." Ranveer nodded his head without looking up and Ishaani shook her head in amusement. Ten minutes later, she came out from the washroom, wiping her face and she sneezed softly. Ranveer turned his head towards Ishaani and felt the breath knocked out of him at her sight. Ishaani had worn a sleeveless satin black nightie that reached her knees, and her neckline was prominent from her reflection in the mirror.

He did not know why he felt blown off his feet at her sight that night. He had seen her several times in those two months in nighties like that, but somehow the effect of her attire that night made a strong impact him. Lost in thought, he didn't realize that Ishaani had now walked up to him and was staring at him curiously. She cleared her throat softly and Ranveer snapped out of his reverie.

"What happened?" Ranveer stared at her embarrassed and stuttered.

"Nothing, I... uh... you... you look beautiful." Ishaani smiled at his graciously and spoke softly.

"Take off your sweatshirt." Ranveer coughed slowly and asked cautiously.

"What?" Ishaani showed him the first-aid box and repeated the same statement again.

"Take off your sweatshirt."

"Why?" Ishaani gave him a confused look before it hit her. She shook her head in exasperation and spoke again, trying to stifle her laughter.

"I need to apply the ointment, you idiot." Ranveer blushed furiously and Ishaani rolled her eyes at him. She took off his sling first and then helped him out with his sweatshirt, making sure not to disturb his stitches in any way. Ranveer shut his eyes in pain as he felt his chest throb dully due to the sudden moment. Keeping it aside, she turned her attention to his wound and shut her eyes.

There were two long gashes over his chest, the wounds running deep, while there were three to four smaller bruises on his torso. Ishaani took a deep breath and turned her attention first to look at his shoulder. She saw that his wound was healed perfectly and that his stitches were not disturbed. She turned her attention once again towards the gashes.

"How on Earth did you even get hurt this bad?"

"Goodness alone knows. The doctor told me that maybe there was something sharp on the road and my chest made brutal contact with it. The doctor told me I was lucky to have my ribs fractured." Ishaani gave him a pained look and took out some cotton and gauze from the first aid box. She put some ointment on her finger and gently applied it on the wound.

Ranveer flinched strongly as he hissed in pain, the ointment stinging his wounds severely. Ishaani shut her eyes as she dabbed more ointment and kept blowing over his wound simultaneously to reduce some of his pain. After ten minutes of strained silence, during which the only sounds that could be heard were of Ranveer hissing and Ishaani apologizing sincerely, the latter finally opened her eyes and stared at Ranveer's pained expression, his face slightly gray.

"You did say it would hurt." Ranveer stared at her keenly, before he replied.

"I didn't know it would hurt that much though." Ishaani's eyes met Ranveer's and both of them smiled, the implied meaning of their statements not lost to either of them.

"Keep applying the ointment and your wounds should heal completely soon enough."

"You sure?"

"Positive. I gave you the wounds, so I know how they are to heal as well." Ranveer gave her a curious look and she smiled. She helped him put on his sweatshirt and sling back on and gently got off the bed. Returning back to him after five minutes, she handed him his medicines along with a glass of water. Ranveer gulped them and Ishaani smiled, a mingled sadness in her eyes.

Ranveer handed over Ishaani the glass and the latter kept it on the side table. She made to leave the room again before Ranveer caught hold of her wrist. She looked at him surprised and he sighed.

"Sorry for scaring you again." Ishaani's eyes widened in understanding and she looked at him uneasily.

"It's alright. Just... just don't do it again, okay?" Ranveer nodded his head solemnly and Ishaani smiled, walking towards the door and shutting it. She now occupied the right side of the bed, feeling slightly awkward and Ranveer smiled.

"You don't have to do this really."

"Oh no, it's fine. I've been asleep alone for too long. It's why this feels different." Ranveer nodded his head in understanding and Ishaani switched off the lamps, the room immediately getting doused in darkness. Both of them slept silently for some time, before Ishaani spoke once again. "This room does have the best view at night. The moonlight streams directly and gives it a pretty glow."

"I had the room specifically designed for the same reason." Ishaani nodded her head and asked inquisitively.

"Doesn't the light bother you? It's not that strong, but still." Ranveer sighed and looked towards the window, a smile coming to his lips as memories of several nights crossed his mind.

"This light used to be my indicator in those three years."

"What indicator?"

"That light could be found even in the darkness. Besides, the sun's first rays come out through here as well."

"The dawn to your night." Ishaani completed the sentence for him and Ranveer smiled.

"Something like that, yes." Ishaani remained silent for a few moments before she saw something glittering on one of the frames on the wall in front of her.

"What's that frame, Ranveer?"

"Oh, that's a quote written in calligraphy. Martin had gifted it to me for my last birthday. He knows that I love them. He got the frame keeping the placement of my room in mind. Wanted the quote to ring out to me each night."

"It's too far away though. I can't make it out right now. What does it say?"

"_If you're the sunshine of my life, then don't forget that I'm also the moon whose life revolves around you_."

"Wow. It's pretty deep. Kind of reminds me about the two of us now, doesn't it?"

"Martin bought it for the same reason." Ishaani smiled as she thought about the techniques Martin used to make Ranveer overcome his aloofness and smiled. She heard Ranveer yawn slowly beside her and moments later, Ranveer spoke sleepily.

"Goodnight, Sunny."

"Goodnight." She felt Ranveer fall asleep minutes later and then took to staring at the ceiling. She felt her awkwardness slip away by the passing moments and felt the comfort she wanted to seek by having Ranveer on her side. She smiled to herself slowly, before she felt sleep overcome her, the moonlight streaming over them gloriously.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: Grooving Up**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani woke up with a start, almost sure that she has screamed out loud. She looked around and felt disoriented for a couple of minutes, before she rubbed her temple nervously and looked to her left. Ranveer was staring at her wide-eyed, worry etched on his face.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Ishaani felt her heartbeat irregular and realized that her forehead was sweaty in spite of the weather being chilly. She gulped down her fear uneasily and replied.

"Bad... bad dream." Ranveer looked worried and switched on the lamps. Ishaani propped herself up and stared at Ranveer in shame.

"Sweetheart, drink some water. You look green." Ishaani quickly took the glass of water beside her and sipped on it slowly, letting her nerves calm. Ranveer stared at her with concern and waited to her to ease up. Ishaani kept the glass aside after some time and looked at Ranveer, a strange consolation spreading through her heart like a balm. Ranveer caught her hand in his and asked her carefully. "Better now?"

"Yeah." Ishaani gave Ranveer a reassuring look and the latter smiled slowly. "Sorry for interrupting your sleep."

"Oh no, that's alright. Wasn't quite asleep." Ishaani stared at Ranveer intently and understood instantly.

"Nightmare?"

"Something like that, yes. And then you shrieked." Ishaani gave him an apologetic look and he sighed. "This is going to take some getting used to now, isn't it?"

"Well, this certainly wasn't going to be easy." Ranveer nodded his head and lied back down again while Ishaani did the same. Both of them remained silent for a few minutes before Ranveer spoke softly.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No... And I don't even remember about it now." Ishaani knew that she failed miserably in sounding convincing and Ranveer smiled in amusement.

"You could have done better than that."

"I know. I just... it was horrible reliving everything in my nightmare without having to speak about it again."

"That's true enough, I admit. It's okay. Take deep breaths and go off to sleep. Hold my hand, if you want." Ishaani looked at him unsure for a minute, before she caught his hand. Ranveer pulled her hand over his chest and kept her fingers over his heart. Ishaani felt the steady rhythm of his beats and felt her mind ease off steadily, the rhythm eventually helping Ishaani to fall asleep.

Ranveer heaved a deep sigh once he saw her fall asleep, her face blank and her breathing steady. He let her fingers remain where they were and gently shut off the lamp, making sure not to disturb his wounds or her hand in the process. Giving her one final look, he looked outside the window and saw the sun's first rays enter the room, hitting Ishaani's face and making it glow in its golden bask.

He smiled softly as he saw the frame glittering strongly in the raw sunlight and shut his eyes, the quote reaching out to him much more than it had ever done in that one year.

* * *

Ishaani took Ranveer to the doctor a week later. The doctor had removed the stitches two days after Ranveer was discharged and had asked him to have a full body checkup after five days to check the wounds. Doing a full body checkup, the doctor asked Ranveer to stop his painkillers and have it only when it was very necessary. Ticking off rapidly on his notepad, he finally turned to report his observations to Ranveer and Ishaani.

"Mr. Vaghela, you have made satisfactory progress. Your wounds have nearly healed and as you've told me, the pain has nearly subsided as well. The bruises have faded away and the gashes have healed well. Just make sure to keep applying the ointment so that the scars don't remain. Your shoulder seems perfectly fine as well. Don't strain your arm too much though, atleast for the next ten days, given that the skin is still slightly raw and damaged. Apart from that, you have a clean chit from my side. You can start working again, but I will still ask you not to strain yourself out a lot."

Ranveer nodded satisfactorily and Ishaani gave the doctor a relieved look.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Phillipe. For everything that you have done for the two of us." The doctor smiled and replied courteously.

"It's my job, Mrs. Vaghela." Ishaani smiled and both she and Ranveer took his leave and headed back to their respective jobs. Ranveer took the driver and headed to his office and Ishaani went to the library to help her out. Ishaani had found a new way of returning to the library each day under the pretense of coming over to read.

Martha was more than happy to have her company for the day and this trend continued for the days to come as well. Ishaani would either spend the whole day with Martha in the library or with Claudine, who was now entering her 7th month of pregnancy. Martin and Claudine would try to cheer her up and time was pass away quickly and once Ranveer would be back home, the four of them would have hearty conversations. Things seemed normal enough to Ishaani during the day time, even though she knew that they weren't.

She realized that even though Ranveer and she kept assuring each other that they were on terms with this, they knew that they weren't. In the days that proceeded, she realized that Ranveer would often wake up in the night with cold sweats and remained uneasy for quite some time after that. Several nights, she would remain unaware of her own actions but Ranveer would always tell her the next day how she moaned and cried in her sleep that made her uncomfortable.

She noticed that Ranveer involved himself fully into his work, perhaps a tad bit more and she suspected that he was trying to combat his stress by channeling it through his work. Ishaani however, was out of that option too. She could not deny that the accident had somehow shaken up their false sense of security bad and had given both of them a harsh slap of reality and uncertainty.

She knew that the relationship between the two of them that grown even more spiritually post the accident, but Ishaani knew that it was not enough. Not enough to heal them this time. Ishaani felt a strange run of emotions through her veins every time she tried to figure it out, but this new and foreign emotion had confused her. She couldn't place her finger on what this emotion was, but she knew that it was the key to helping both of them heal.

Ranveer on the other hand felt a strange distress in his heart. He couldn't understand what had gone wrong with him, but he knew that he was not the only one facing the issue.

He felt a strange awkwardness in the air whenever he was around Ishaani and his unwarranted emotion that bubbled within him at her sight was something that bothered him immensely. He felt something separating the two of them from being themselves and a strange yearning in his heart, but he didn't know what he yearned for.

If his worries about his relationship with Ishaani occupied his mind in the day, then memories from his accident tormented him in the night. Now that three weeks had elapsed post his accident, he felt certain portions of his memory unlock itself and those memories disturbed him and distressed him. Several nights, fragmented parts of reality and fiction fused itself together and trapped him in its vice-like grip, until screaming out loud for help was the only option he said.

On those nights, which were nearly every day, Ishaani would look at his pinched complexion and speak soft soothing words to him or else when he woke up, he would see Ishaani murmuring in her own sleep, fighting her own demons. She would then wake up suddenly and stare around the room frantically before her eyes would meet his own and she would hug him.

The next hour would pass by in consoling each other and would fall asleep eventually either by holding hands or by cuddling each other. Some nights, they would simply choose to remain awake, frightened to fall asleep lest the freak show begin and lure them into it.

Ranveer and Ishaani both felt their strength being tested in its own way, where both had to be strong for each other and weak for themselves. They couldn't understand why the accident affected them like the way it did, but they knew that it was much less the accident and more the incidents after that that had scarred both of them.

They had gotten used to falling asleep and succumbing to their fears in their dreams, knowing that there was no escape. They knew that the answer to their problem lied with each other but they felt afraid to entrust their guilty secret to the other, knowing the battle the other was fighting already.

One night after three weeks, Ranveer entered his room and saw her fast asleep, her expression peaceful. He had returned from work late and had told Ishaani to go off to sleep. He smiled slowly and changed himself out of his work clothes quickly. Lying down on the bed, he heaved a sigh and turned himself against Ishaani, shutting his eyes. He made up his mind to talk to Ishaani openly about his nightmare and to get the burden off his chest for he could no longer handle it.

He knew they needed each other more than ever in these days and he was happy that they could give each other that solace. But he also knew that there was something extra between them this time, something that wasn't there before and that this extra veil between them was the thing that would heal them both and help them move on.

Before Ranveer knew it, he felt himself fall asleep, his mind blank for once and his sleep uninterrupted. He knew that he was walking along the road and a woman had slipped and fallen down and was sobbing in pain. He walked up to her and tried to console her, but she would keep throwing his hand away.

Finally tired of trying to help the mysterious woman, whose face was hidden by her hair, he got up and made to walk away when he heard her shriek. He turned around to see what happened, but before he could understand what had happened, he felt everything go dark before his eyes. He tried to blindly navigate his way through the darkness and suddenly felt his finer trail along something and a louder shriek could be heard.

Ranveer felt his eyes snap open and realized the scream of the woman still resonate in his ears. He looked around disoriented for several moments before he realized that his hand was still over something. He looked to his side and saw Ishaani staring at him panic-stricken and his fingers on her shoulder.

Ranveer quickly retracted his hand away and got up, shaking his head to rid himself of the scream that still kept ringing in his ears. He heaved a sigh and propped himself up and saw Ishaani staring at him, her face mingled with fright and embarrassment.

"Sor... sorry. I didn't mean to yell, I just..."

"No, it's fine. I think I frightened you." Ishaani nodded her head and coughed slowly, but before Ranveer could say anything, she rolled over to the other side and shut her eyes. Ranveer felt disgruntled for a moment, before he got the clue that Ishaani didn't want to talk about it and rolled to the other side as well.

Five minutes later, Ishaani rolled back and asked softly.

"You awake?" Ranveer 'hmmed' in reply and she slowly cleared her throat. "Want to talk about it?" Ranveer rolled to sleep on his back and turned his face towards Ishaani.

"I don't mind giving it a shot." Ishaani nodded her head and spoke again after a few minutes, her voice shaking.

"It's sick. Every night, it's the same dream that goes on and on. I'm standing, seeing your life seep away from you, and your blood keeps trickling from my hands. I... I try to hold on to you, urging you that things are going to be okay, but I know I'm lying. You're bleeding and bleeding and there's too much blood. And it keeps trickling away. I... it just... it's sickening." Ranveer sighed and spoke softly, holding her hand within his."

"Is this from the time you were in the ER with me?"

"Yes... yes. It was... grotesque. You like that... and all I could do was _see_." Ranveer remained silent for a couple of minutes while Ishaani got up and sat crossed-legged, her eyes blazing. "God... what did you put us into, Ranveer? Wasn't it bad enough that we had issues to handle without you going and getting yourself nearly killed?" Ranveer gave Ishaani a guilty look and got up, resting his head on the headrest of the bed.

"I... don't know what to say." Both of them stared at each other for a few minutes before Ishaani spoke again, her voice weary.

"Never mind that now. Tell me about yours."

"It's... I... uh..." Ishaani glared at Ranveer and he fell silent.

"Ranveer. I kept up my end. It's time you kept up to your word." Ranveer stared at Ishaani's determined look and huffed.

"Alright, fine! My dream usually begins on a random point. You know, trivial things that we keep dreaming about," Ishaani nodded her head in understanding and Ranveer continued. "But somehow, at the end of all those dreams, there comes the part where a pair of strong lights hit my eyes and I feel excruciating pain hit me the next moment. My mind feels suspended in the moment, knowing nothing except torturous agony. I feel myself hit something concrete and I can feel the breath taken away from me. Except, the next moment, I am standing again. You are in front of me, smiling and I... I'm just staring at you. But I'm in pain. My heart hurts, and I can't meet eyes with you. And suddenly, my chest feels on fire and I feel this sharp pain..."

"Like you were shot?" Ranveer's eyes widened for a moment before he replied queasily.

"Yeah. And then, I feel suspended in this limbo, like there is no escape and all I can feel is excruciating pain and I feel I would suffocate of it any moment."

"And that's when you get up, yelling." Ranveer nodded his head and sighed. Now that he had spoken about his dream, he had expected to feel better. He didn't. He only felt a strong urge to hurl something in despair, and to drown himself in remorse. He looked at Ishaani and noticed that her expression was identical to his own.

"Ishaani, what have we gotten ourselves into?" Ishaani looked at her palms, finding them very interesting suddenly, and replied truthfully.

"We ended up giving each other our lives' biggest nightmares." Ranveer felt a strange fire spring up in his heart and spoke swiftly, his frustration evident.

"And the thing that irks me the most is that I don't know how to help us. I've spoken to both Claud and Dr. Phillipe but both of them only keep telling me that such incidents take time to heal from. I feel helpless. It's like I see us both as two people who face their worst nightmares every night and all we can do is console each other. And we both know that it's not good enough." Ishaani heard him out patiently and spoke enigmatically.

"I don't know, Ranveer. It's like there is this veil between us. Every time we are around each other, I don't know why, but there is this air, as though there is the solution to our problem. But it's like it more got to do with the other person, and not solely me or you. Do I make sense?"

"If you ask me, the closest I could come to describe that feeling was to 'yearning'. But what exactly was I yearning, I don't know." Ishaani frowned and her brows contracted in concentration.

"Like yearning for security?" Ranveer gave it a thought and nodded his head slowly.

"Something like that, yes. But it's stronger than yearning. I... don't know how to describe it." Ishaani let out a sigh and patted his hand.

"It's alright. Atleast we know that the two of us are on the same page." Ranveer nodded his head, still sulking at the prospect of these torturous visions and spoke in a jaded tone.

"I feel tired. I've racked and racked my brains, yet I feel the answer walking away from me rather than towards. It's frustrating." Ishaani gave him a consoling look and breathed out.

"I know. But trust me, we'll figure it out soon enough."

Ranveer smiled as Ishaani sadly and she gave him a reassuring nod. Yawning softly, Ishaani laid back on the bed once again, Ranveer's hand still within her own. Ranveer too laid himself comfortably and shut off the lamps, before speaking away, his tone suddenly pacified.

"This does seem like a good alternative for now, doesn't it?" Ishaani gave Ranveer a mollified smile before she spoke.

"The best security that I can think of for now."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40: The Falling of the Veil**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

December was always Ranveer's favourite month. The white blanket that the month covered over Mother Earth was always something that caught his fancy and this year was no different. He stared out of his window as the snowflakes fell slowly, a serene calm overcoming the entire atmosphere. He stared at the sky, his mind falling in a peaceful meditation, when he heard a door knock.

Turning around, he saw Martha standing near the door, a small smile on her face. Ranveer beckoned her in and freed her off her overcoat and hat, while Martha took a seat opposite his table.

"Good Lord, it's snowing so heavy. I just hope that we don't have a blizzard on the way." Ranveer gave her an apologetic look before speaking to himself more than her.

"It looked so peaceful from high up here though."

"It always does." Ranveer smiled at her and she took a seat. "Snow still has the same effect on you now, doesn't it?"

"Oh yes. Obviously I don't relate myself to it anymore given the changes my life has been through in these seven months, but it still feels peaceful." Martha nodded her head in understanding and spoke shrewdly.

"That's true enough. In these seven months, I've got to know a different Mr. Vaghela altogether. And thankfully, I got to know the real one." Ranveer frowned at her and asked, his voice laced with confusion.

"What do you mean?" Martha smiled lovingly and understanding dawned over him.

"I think you understand."

"Well, you've been with me in these three years. So naturally, you must know the difference between me being as cold and aloof as the icy nature of snow, and being as warm and pleasant as a flowery spring. Martin and Claudine tell me the same thing as well."

"I couldn't have explained that better." Martha gave Ranveer an impressed look and the latter smiled sheepishly.

"Glad I could help. So how did the hearing go?"

"The hearing went pretty well. The final verdict will be out on the 24th." Ranveer sighed heavily and gave Martha an earnest look.

"I just hope that I manage to set atleast one thing right." Martha stared at him deeply for a couple of minutes before she spoke cautiously.

"Still stuck on to the nightmares?" Ranveer gave her a helpless look and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah. I spoke to Ishaani yesterday, and she shares my frustration. Goodness knows what's to happen now." Martha gave Ranveer a sympathetic look and Ranveer sat opposite her, a perturbed look on his face. He offered her refreshments, all of which she politely refused. After some time Martha spoke again.

"I don't understand." Ranveer gave her a bewildered look.

"What?"

"What's the problem?"

"What do you mean?" Martha sighed and gave Ranveer a curious look.

"Things are alright between the two of you now. Infact from what I've been able to sum up, your spiritual bonding with each other has only strengthened. Then why the demons? Why the insecurity?" Ranveer gave Martha a guilty look and the latter understood.

"I put her through hell and revisited a different hell of my past altogether." Martha nodded her head and now asked him inquisitively.

"Agreed. But what's with the veil?"

"_Veil_?" Ranveer looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. He felt the colour creep up his cheeks before he asked swiftly. "Wait, Ishaani spoke to you about our conversation?"

"Yes. She wanted an extra understanding on the matter." Ranveer felt his throat burn and gave Martha a shrug.

"I don't know. It's like we have the security of being in love with each other. We know that we are soulfully bonded and that nothing can do us apart. Maybe, perhaps death." Martha narrowed her eyes and Ranveer could see a strange light dance within them.

"You know that failed." Ranveer caught on to Martha's implied meaning and let out a hopeless huff.

"Which is why the added frustration. It's like we are giving each other the best of our soulful assurance, but it isn't enough. It's as though we need to assure each other without physical presence. She needs my presence around her. I see her eyes wander about when I'm away for more time than necessary. I can hear the despair in her voice when she asks me whether I can make it home early today. And it's not just her. I have the same reaction. And ever since Martin told me what nearly happened, I can't stop thinking about it. It's as though both of us are living in this constant fear of losing each other. And it's really stressful."

"I'm sure you guys will figure it out." Ranveer nodded his head and Martha spoke again. "When do you intend to tell Ishaani about this?" Martha pointed towards the case file in her hand and Ranveer took a minute to answer.

"Once the final verdict was out." Martha stared at Ranveer intently and mustered her courage again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, Martha."

"Why haven't you told her about it?" Ranveer gave Martha a deep look before he confessed truthfully.

"I didn't want to get her hopes too high." Martha smiled at his childish honesty and continued.

"Ranveer, you know very well that our chances look good." Ranveer smiled at her innocently and Martha could sense the love in his voice.

"I do know that, but still don't want to take any chances. Which reminds me, does this make for a good Christmas gift?"

"Oh yeah, it does. Kind of celebrates the spirit of Christmas now, doesn't it?" Ranveer smiled and Martha gave him a meaningful look again. "Make sure to have things sorted out and let the veil fall." Ranveer smiled to himself as he remembered the countless times he had confided things to Martha and taken her suggestions. He could see the same thought running through Martha's mind and he grinned.

"How do I let it fall without knowing what it is?" Martha gave it a good though before replying slowly.

"Let things unwind themselves. It will fall off on its own."

"Easier said than done."

"Touché, but then again, I love the spring-essence Ranveer much more than the snowy one. Same goes for my girl as well. I like the bubbly and lively one far more than the quiet, pleasing-to-the-sight one." Ranveer smiled as Martha got up and quickly walked up to make her wear her overcoat. He smiled to himself as he admitted bitterly.

"I must have been pathetic to handle in those three years." Martha turned around and took her hat from his hand and put it on. Patting Ranveer's shoulder, she spoke admiringly.

"For all I know, you inspired me far more in life than I could help you. You are a fighter, Ranveer, and it's your love that has brought you this far. You and Ishaani are both survivors. You both have survived and fought off a lot in life with nothing but love. I'm sure you both will fight this out together." Ranveer smiled and Martha patted his cheek. "I'll take your leave now."

"Alright. Keep me updated on the situation."

Martha nodded and gave Ranveer a reassuring nod, before she left his cabin. Ranveer once again took to staring outside the window, a smile now etched over his face as the raw sunlight cut through the icy snow.

* * *

Ranveer entered the house and saw Ishaani's head drooping over the magazine. Ranveer's worried expression dissolved into one of relief and he walked up to Ishaani. Ranveer patted her shoulder and Ishaani gave a startled jerk, before seeing it was Ranveer. Smiling, she got up and gave him a hug and he hugged her lovingly. They swayed in the same pose for several minutes before they finally parted, Ranveer still holding her by her waist.

"How was your day?" Ishaani let out a soft yawn and Ranveer grinned shamelessly.

"Boring as usual. What about you?" Ishaani smiled at him and took off his coat.

"It was pretty eventful."

"How come you didn't call me today? Your phone was switched off as well." Ishaani could see the tiredness on his face and gave him a reproving look.

"That can wait. It's a pretty interesting story. Freshen up and I'll get the dinner warmed up for you." Ranveer pouted childishly and Ishaani smiled, putting her arms over his neck.

"Can we have it in our room today? I feel lazy to come down all the way for dinner again." Ishaani narrowed her eyes as Ranveer gave her a puppy look, her gaze faltering after a few minutes under his appealing ones.

"Alright, I'll get the food up." Ranveer smiled and kissed her forehead lovingly, before making his way up the staircase. Ishaani looked towards his retreating figure and smiled, making her way to the kitchen after five minutes.

Twenty minutes later, Ranveer and Ishaani both sat together in their room, discussing trivial topics. Ranveer was halfway through the dessert when he remembered the main topic of discussion and asked curiously.

"So tell me, what happened today?" Ishaani chuckled before speaking quickly.

"In the morning, I missed falling from the staircase."

"_What_?!" Ranveer looked aghast and Ishaani smiled.

"Don't worry, I caught my balance at the right time. My phone slipped out from my hand and feel the length. Poor thing didn't survive." Ranveer gave Ishaani an angry look and she shrugged her shoulders innocently. "Don't look at me like that. It wasn't my fault. My pantaloons got caught up in my stilettos."

"Why do you have to wear such long ones when you can't handle it?"

"You don't expect me to roam in knee-length nightgowns now, do you?" Ranveer was about to retort when he fell silent, his cheeks burning.

"You are impossible." Ishaani gave him an approving nod and continued.

"Well, that was just the start. Martin and the one of the helpers had an ugly argument."

"Why?"

"Apparently, when dusting your brilliant life-size Iron Man, the helper dropped it whole. The thing cracked from the feet." Ranveer could hear the badly suppressed glee in Ishaani's voice and scowled at her.

"What did Martin do with it?"

"Oh, he has treasured it for you. Says he will get it rectified." Ranveer shook his head in disappointment and Ishaani snorted, Ranveer distinctly catching the phrase 'boys with toys'.

"What happened next?"

"Claud went into labour." Ranveer choked over his strawberry jelly and stared at Ishaani dumbstruck.

"What?! And you are telling me this now?"

"Oh, relax. It was a false labour. Claud got the contractions pretty bad, but the water bag hadn't burst. Then too, Martin and I took her to the hospital. Over there, the doctor checked her up and told her she was having a false labour. Ever since that, Claud has been in a bad temper."

"Why? She should be happy that it wasn't a premature delivery. Atleast she is going great so far."

"Go figure. Martin and I got good lectures from her about how we handled the situation most poorly."

"That's insane! Besides, how on Earth would you know that it was a false labour? We haven't even had kids..." Ranveer trailed off his sentence to look at Ishaani, who suddenly took to staring at her bowl of lemon mousse. She looked up and gave him a blazing look while Ranveer reciprocated it with equal intensity.

"But if Claudine as a doctor couldn't make it out, how could you have done it?"

"Actually all three of us got a bit carried away. False labour is pretty common during a pregnancy but given that Claudine was having the contractions for three hours straight and we knew that it was too long for the false labour and then we took her quickly. And it was a false labour. Martin and I were relieved but Claud got a bad swing of hormones. Trust me, it's been hell trying to pacify her. Both of us gave up in the end."

"Good Lord. Pregnancies are such testing times for a woman now, aren't they?" Ishaani gave Ranveer a curious look before she smiled at him sweetly and replied.

"Yes they are."

Both of them stared at each other intently, before Ishaani got up and cleared off the dishes. Ranveer sighed and made his way to the bed, his mind still reeling with all the conversations he had had in the past 24 hours.

* * *

Ranveer felt his sleep break abruptly. As much as he was relieved that he hadn't had his usual dreams, he knew that the one he had was just as strange. He could only recollect someone crying and the continuous sound of water pouring, similar to that from a shower.

He felt disoriented as his surroundings had changed rapidly, but the sounds still remained. It was after several minutes that he realized that the sounds of the shower was still there. He quickly turned over to his other side to see the bed empty. Worried, he quickly got up and walked up to the washroom. He could hear a slight sob from within and he grew tense.

He knocked on the door thrice, but there was no response. Pushing open the door with hesitation, he entered the washroom and felt a pang hit his heart. Ishaani sat hugging herself in the shower area, drenched to the skin in her sleeveless satin peach gown. She looked up to see Ranveer and shook her head.

Ranveer entered the shower cubicle and sat down, letting himself get drenched as well. Both of them sat silently for a while before Ishaani spoke slowly, her voice cracking.

"It's feels like there's still blood on my hands. And it won't come off." Ranveer put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, taking her hand in his own.

"Let me see." Ranveer brought her hand close to his lips and gently sucked on her fingers one by one. Ishaani let her other hand fall freely and she cuddled herself closer to him. Ranveer looked at Ishaani and spoke softly. "Better?"

Ishaani nodded her head and let Ranveer cuddle her whole, while they both sat in silence. After an infinitesimal amount of time, Ishaani spoke again.

"I have become very irrational these days, haven't I?"

"I don't say that I blame you. I have my own set of fears, but yours are cruder. It was precisely why you shifted in with me now, didn't you?"

"I couldn't let you out from my sight. Your presence gives me the security that my dreams were not reality." Ranveer nodded his head slowly.

"You must be cold." Ishaani nodded and Ranveer made her get up slowly. Both of them stared at each other for several moments before Ranveer spoke cautiously. "You shouldn't let what happened in the ER affect you this bad."

"We will talk about this the day I'm stabbed and fall in your arms." Ranveer pinned her to the wall, his finger over her lips as the water falling over them increased. He glared at her, outrage evident in his voice.

"Don't you ever dare say stuff like that in front of me again or God help me, I'll kill you myself." Ranveer stared at Ishaani angrily, his soul shivering at the words she had spoken so carelessly. He removed his finger from her lips after a few moments and stared at her frightfully, realizing that they were in this close of a proximity after nearly a month. Ishaani stared at him wide-eyed for several minutes before Ranveer felt her pull him to herself, her eyes shut and head tilted. He felt his own breath cease as their noses brushed against each other's and shut his eyes before he felt his lips meet her own.

There was a raw element in the way they kissed each other; a strange, fiery passion ignited within their hearts as both of them let the water falling over them wash away their insecurities. Ranveer let his arm curl around her waist while his other hand traced over her neck that managed to have Ishaani moan softly against his lips. Ishaani, in turn, let her hand wander over his sweatshirt and her other hand interlocked itself over his hair, her touch working its magic over Ranveer. He could get the scent of essence of vanilla from her hair, while her lips has its usual soft, strawberry touch.

Ranveer let his lips capture her own in a strange urgency, as things began unravelling itself in his mind. He let himself unwind as he let his emotions overcome him and kissed her with a passion such like he had never known, the tension between them reaching a new point. Ranveer could feel Ishaani crushed between him and the wall as their lips now met for a dominant battle, his hips grinding against her own, while she let her arms now feel his back. He felt his heart feel the balm he had been yearning for all those weeks and smiled against her lips before he let his lips make a detour towards the crux of her neck.

Separating finally for air after several more minutes, Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other and smiled coyly, before their lips met again for a peck. Ranveer and Ishaani let their heads rest against each other's as they both gasped for breath, Ranveer's hand gently finding the knob behind him and turning off the shower. Ishaani gave him a hard look and gently locked her fingers within his own, while Ranveer felt his heart ablaze. Sighing, she led him back to the room slowly, while both of them let themselves drown in the daze of the moment that had just happened between them.

But for all they knew in that moment, the veil had begun to fall off at long last.

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41: Calling Your Name in the Midnight Hour**

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D**

* * *

Ishaani woke up, her mind in a peaceful bliss. She had never felt so calm or this satiated in her entire life and the new emotion was welcome to her. Her head felt comfortable underneath the plushy pillow under her head and she smiled to herself, the same bout of euphoria exploding in her heart. It was as Ranveer said - the dawn had finally broken through.

Ranveer.

Ishaani turned around to see Ranveer asleep, a small smile on his face. Never in her life had she seen him this happy and the smile over his sleeping features only made her heart sing in joy. She could feel Ranveer's arm curled around her stomach in a protective embrace and she smiled to herself shyly, his fingers still causing goosebumps to erupt over her skin.

Smiling to herself, she gently separated herself from Ranveer's hold and slid from the bed, the cold, December wind causing a mingled excitement and shivering within her and over her bare skin. Casting her eyes around the room, her eyes fell over Ranveer's mauve-coloured shirt. She slipped it on quickly, loosely buttoning the shirt and left the room.

Ishaani basked in the glorious silence of the house as she made her way to the kitchen. The helpers were on leave for the day and Martin and Claudine had both left for the latter's maiden home to spend the weekend with her family. Entering the kitchen, she felt the warm sunlight hit her whole while the entire kitchen glowed under the sunlight of the December morning.

Ishaani took off two mugs from the cabinet, along with some coffee powder and sugar. She kept a vessel of water over the stove, waiting for it to boil, her mind meanwhile openly wandering to the realms of last night's fantasy.

Ishaani let her fingers trail over her neck, her eyes shutting as she could still feel Ranveer's lips leaving trails of enticing kisses over her bare skin, while he left heated kisses over her bosom. She could feel his fingers running all over her in a gentle yet tantalizing touch, while his lips made fevered contact, starting from her neck, leaving trails till her stomach. She felt a strange comfort as his touch ignited a passion within her, obliterating all the unceasing worries that she had been harboring within her, and she knew that could speak the same for Ranveer himself.

Ishaani could feel the same pleasurable excitement explode in the pits of her stomach at the thought of the way he had touched her that night, his embraces and fingers passionately working its magic over all her senses. She could feel her fears slip away as the night proceeded, only to be replaced by hot, strong love that she returned to him with raunchy pleasure.

She turned to looked towards the cabinet and saw her reflection in the glass, which made her blush. Her hair was untidy and messy, yet she had never liked it better. She ran her hands over her neckline now, while she shut her eyes and felt the same gush of excitement pound her whole, as the feeling of Ranveer's hands running over her astray, fondling and kneading her carefully and gently and evoking soft grunts of pleasure from her had driven her to another level of ecstasy.

She had locked his lips with him once again, while he left his hands roam freely about her body and her carnal spots and trailing his fingers along her hips alluringly. Her pleasure was evident, for her back arched forward at the touch of his fingers over her hips and her moans of gratification gradually increased by the passing minutes.

Snapping out from her thoughts, she bit her lip slowly and switched off the stove. She took the water off and poured it into the two cups and added the coffee powder and the sugar soon after. She let the foam settle for a while before she slowly formed a heart over the foam, her mind penetrated over the task.

But soon again she had revisited the memory of the previous night, this time her mind running over the way she had touched him. She could remember feeling Ranveer's body rising and falling against hers, his breath coming rapidly, almost as swift as her shaky, uneven ones. She, in turn, had let her hands roam all over him, leaving nail marks all over his back and torso, careful enough to not damage his shoulder and chest wounds that were newly recovered.

She could sense his awkwardness at first, afraid to hurt her or cause her more agony, but she had simply pulled him in for a kiss, that was answer enough to him. She could sense the way her touch made him quiver, as she blew slow kisses over his chest while all he could do was moan her name in a newfound desire. Their voices had lost its usual strength and all they managed to do was hoarsely moan out the other one's name, calling out for each other in the midnight hour.

She could feel the colour creep up her cheeks at the thought of how quick they formed rhythms, trying and testing several different ways of stirring the peaks of love within the other, each time passing with flying colours. They eased out with each other quickly, as they felt their insecurities and fears shed itself like the veil keeping them apart, only to be replaced by the glow of their new discovery.

The beauty of what she had experienced so fully had blown her mind apart, constantly throwing her in the bliss of ecstasy as Ranveer's thoughts kept erupting in her mind, the heat of their moments engulfing her into an ocean of emotions she had never felt before.

She smiled as she stared at the mug, the heart a perfect shape and sighed. She felt a pair of arms encircle her and a pair of lips make contact with the crux of her neck and she smiled. Letting him turn her around slowly, Ishaani let her eyes meet's Ranveer's own pair of shining ones and she smiled, allowing him to pull her into an embrace.

"Hey." Ishaani smiled, purring contentedly against Ranveer's chest, her voice muffled against the sweatshirt.

"Hey. Made you your coffee." Both of them separated and Ranveer looked about, confused.

"Why is the house this silent?" Ishaani gave him a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh, I gave the helpers a leave for today." Ranveer nodded along, posing his next question.

"What about Martin and Claudine?"

"Both are off to Mr. LeBlanc's place for the weekend."

"Oh yes, Martin did mention that to me." He smiled at Ishaani, while the latter beamed at him. "So that leaves the house to our liberty."

"It certainly does." Ranveer kissed her nose and Ishaani's chuckled, his stubble tickling her. He stared at her silently, his eyes staring transparently into her own.

"When I got up this morning, I was almost certain that it was a dream." Ishaani smiled like the child-like innocence with which he confessed. She gently let her lips meet his own for a peck before they separated and she looked at him lovingly.

"No, you certainly weren't dreaming." Ranveer pulled her into his arms again, both of them sighing and letting themselves escape from reality under the other's embrace. Ishaani gently separated herself from the hug and smiled coyly, the curtains of her black hair obscuring her face. Ranveer smiled and pushed aside her hair, smiling adoringly at her as he raised her chin so that their eyes met.

"You were right. I had no idea." Ishaani let herself blush freely as she understood Ranveer's reference and Ranveer gave her a smile that Ishaani found herself melting into, bewitching as it was.

"You were right as well. Scars certainly make men much more desirable." Ranveer flushed and Ishaani kissed the bridge of his nose, letting his arms circle her waist.

"Well, that's good enough." Ishaani and Ranveer smiled at each other for several minutes before Ranveer spoke softly. "So, you are on board with this, right?" Ishaani frowned and gave Ranveer a bewildered look.

"What do you mean?" Ranveer gave Ishaani an embarrassed look, while the latter still looked confused.

"I mean, this isn't some 'oh I lost my job, I nearly died and we were in the moment' kind of thing now, is it?" Ishaani's features relaxed and she smiled shyly.

"No, it isn't. Not for me."

"Good. Me neither." Ranveer cupped Ishaani's cheek and she kissed his hand softly, a daring yet coy twinkle in her eyes.

"So, um, did you like it?" Ishaani questioned him truthfully, the words leaving her lips even before she was aware. Ranveer couldn't help but smile at the childish innocence with which she framed her question and replied lovingly.

"_Yes._"

"And the part where-"

"Especially that part. I loved it." Ishaani reddened and whispered back, her voice seductively rough.

"Good." Ranveer gently made Ishaani sit up on the platform, careful enough to remove the mugs and place them sideways, before he pulled her face close enough to his own. She stared at him, the same blazing look in her eyes and a mischievous smile on her face before she let her lips collide against his own, while his fingers slowly trailed up her exposed thighs. Both of them remained in the same place for several minutes, the blazing sun adding to the heat of their moment while they let themselves loosen up at the other's touch.

Separating after several minutes, Ishaani smiled at Ranveer and whispered suggestively.

"You look ready for a second round." Ranveer gave her a confused look.

"Shouldn't that technically be our fifth?"

"Touché." Ranveer smiled and picked her up bridal style, while Ishaani smiled at him lovingly. Both of them left the kitchen, the cups of coffee on the counter, the steam from the hearts creating an aroma of its own.

* * *

That evening, Ranveer and Ishaani had their dinner in silence, enjoying the peaceful calm that the house imposed upon them. Both of them had smiled plastered over their faces, too coy to speak anything yet too happy to break the bubble of contentment.

Finally, once Ishaani cleared off the dishes, she came back to the room and Ranveer gave her a winning smile.

"You still didn't tell me why the helpers are on leave."

"I gave them the leave because the wanted the weekend for ourselves. To spend time with each other and try to crack a solution for our latest problem." Ranveer chuckled to himself and Ishaani turned crimson.

"Well, we managed to do that."

"Yes. We certainly did, though this was certainly the last thing on my mind, I must admit." Ishaani let silence envelop them once again and both of them made their way to the bed. Sitting for something devoid of any conversation, Ishaani spoke after some time. "You know, this didn't feel wrong. Not in any way."

"Yeah. You know, before yesterday, this thought did occur to me sometimes, but somehow, I always felt that we weren't ready for it. I felt that this would only break the order in which I wanted to take the relationship ahead. I was clearly wrong."

"It felt like that now, didn't it?"

"Oh yeah. But for all I know, we were meant to experience this long ago and last night actually helped me understand how far the two of us have come."

"We have indeed come far along. From the days where we could barely make eye contact to last night, things have certainly been phenomenal." Ranveer held Ishaani's hand in his own and kissed it, while Ishaani pulled him in a tight embrace. Ranveer stroked her hair gently, letting her lay in his arms peacefully before she slowly separated herself.

"Ranveer, can I ask you something?" Ranveer nodded his head and gave her an assuring nod.

"Anything." Ishaani nodded her head and spoke hesitantly.

"Can we keep what we have between us a secret for now?" Ranveer kissed her forehead and replied lovingly.

"That goes without saying."

Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other winningly as they made they sat in the same posture for the next hour, discussing several trivial things, while their fingers remained constantly entwined. Both of them remained unaware when they fell asleep in the same position, their hearts bubbling the concoction of love while their minds had never been this calm.

* * *

Martin and Claudine returned the day after the next. Ishaani and Ranveer waited for them eagerly and the arriving couple were pleasantly surprised to the residing ones happy and chirpy, back to their happy selves. Ranveer and Ishaani had the helpers clear off their luggage while Ishaani and Claudine hugged, the latter looking apologetic.

"I'm most ashamed for my behavior with you that day."

"Claud, let it go. And why on Earth have you still caught on to it? To be honest, I'd forgotten about it. So, call it quits." Claudine smiled happily and Ishaani gave her an engaging smile, before Claudine frowned

"You're glowing. Wait, did you do something to your face?" Ishaani gave her a confused look and shook her head.

"No, it's the same. Why?"

"I don't know. I've seen this glow before, but I can't place it where exactly. God, this pregnancy has messed up all of my senses." Ishaani rolled her eyed while the latter still looked addled.

"Come now, Claud. You just started with your seventh month. It isn't long now." Claudine and Ishaani smiled at each other and separated, Ishaani hugging Martin and Claudine hugging Ranveer. The four of them made their way to the dining room and Martin made to leave.

"Where do you think you are going, Martin?" Ranveer gave Martina questioning look and the latter looked taken aback.

"To serve you all breakfast, _monsieur_." Ranveer scowled at him and Martin averted his gaze quickly.

"Sit down, Martin. The helper will serve it out."

"But-"

"No 'buts' with me. Sit down," When Martin didn't make to budge, Ranveer gritted his teeth and spoke through them. "_Now_." Martin hurriedly sat down and Ishaani and Claudine chuckled, while Ranveer rolled his eyes at Martin. The helpers quickly laid across the table and all the four of them tucked in, their appetites at their usual ravenous peaks.

Ishaani noticed that Claudine was staring at her puzzled several times. She could not help but feel unnerved under Claudine's scrutinizing gaze, while the latter shrugged her shoulders several times and getting back to having her breakfast. However, it was during Ishaani's third piece of toast when Claudine banged her fist on the table, her expression triumphant.

"Ha! Aha!" Ranveer and Ishaani both stared at Claudine in shock at her sudden outburst while Martin stared at her confused.

"_Qu'est-que c'est, ma cherie_?"

"Claud, I understand that hormones go a little high during the pregnancy, but does it make you a little demented as well?" Claud shook her finger at Ranveer dangerously and looked at Ishaani, a notorious smirk on her face.

"The two of you did it now, didn't you?" It took a moment for her statement to be registered before both Ranveer and Ishaani gasped, the former choking over his glass of juice while the latter missed biting her toast by an inch. Both of them feigned innocence but could not help getting flustered, the reddening of their cheeks the ideal give away.

"Good Lord Claud, what's gotten into you today?"

"You've become a daredevil!" Both Ranveer and Ishaani spoke simultaneously and Claudine relaxed back on her chair, her expression pleased. Martin looked uncomfortably at Claudine as whispered swiftly.

"Cherie, must you talk such things?"

"Oh, grow up, Martin! You have twins on the way from crying out loud!" Martin reddened and quickly made to get up and clear the table, while Ranveer and Ishaani let their lips twitch at Martin's evident discomfort. Claudine turned her attention back to the two of them and they sobered down quickly, Ranveer taking the lead.

"Must you be this vocal about your observations?" Claudine gave him an uneasy look before she sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blurt it out like that. The glow is something that's pretty common, because as a forensic expert, looking out for such signs is a must." Ishaani nodded her head in understanding, but Ranveer looked at Martin's quick, retreating figure and chuckled.

"But look what you've done to poor Martin." Claudine waved her hand in dismissal yet couldn't help but smile in his direction.

"Oh come now, he is acting like a baby." Ishaani gave Claudine a reproachful look.

"Cut the guy some slack." Claudine raised her hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright. But on a serious note, I am so happy for you guys!" Ranveer and Ishaani gave her glowing smiles and she got up and hugged them both. Ranveer quickly wiped his hands clean and headed towards the main door, Ishaani with him. Claudine came along to see him off and Ranveer gave her a tense look.

"Relax. I won't say anything more about this. Promise." Ranveer understood the reference and he smiled.

"Good, because the two of us want this to remain between us for some more time before we get to the next phase of the relationship and announce it publicly." Claudine smiled at the couple and shook her head in mock disappointment.

"You speak as though I'm a blabbermouth. I expected better from you, Ranveer." Ranveer gave her a skeptical look and Claudine punched him playfully.

"Alright, alright." Claudine smiled, but realized the awkwardness spreading about. She sensed Ranveer and Ishaani's hesitancy and smirked.

"Good Lord, get a room." Claudine winked at them and made her way to the room, while Ranveer embraced Ishaani, smiling broadly to themselves. Breaking apart, Ranveer kissed Ishaani's forehead gently and she smiled.

"Get back home soon." Ranveer cupped her cheek, his touch giving Ishaani a strange assurance.

"Don't worry, you won't wake up calling my name in the midnight hour now."

* * *

**Phew! This chapter was quite task. :/ :/ You all have been expecting a lot from this chapter, and honestly I have tried my best to keep this decent (not getting into the 18+ part) yet manage to use details. It was very dicey, and I don't know whether I have given justice at all or failed in both aspects. So my most sincere apologies in advance to all.**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :) :)**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42: The Secrets of a Snowy Christmas**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Vari went into a hustle as Christmas Eve came around the corner, happiness and warmth high in the cold, December air. Like all the others, Ranveer and Ishaani were taken by the flow of the season's festivities as well, Martin, Claudine and Martha accompanied.

Ranveer and Ishaani now found things rapidly going back to the way they used to be in the next week of their new found therapy. They barely had nightmares and were no longer on the edge, but instead were much calmer and more composed.

As much as Ishaani tried, Martha found out about Ranveer and Ishaani soon enough just by one look at Ishaani's face. Ishaani didn't bother trying to contradict her but simply gave her a smile and hugged her.

Ranveer and Ishaani's happiness seemed to effect the atmosphere just as much and the mansion now become a lively place, with the arrival of the two babies were in full swing. There was month and a half to go yet everyone seemed just as excited.

It was the 23rd of December. Ranveer returned back home early in the afternoon due to a heavy snowfall. Ranveer entered the pathway to the mansion and got down at the gate. Before he could make his way inside, he saw Martha walking up to him quickly, her fur overcoat making her look like an adorable bear while her boots slowed her pace.

"I was hoping to find you here."

Ranveer led Martha inside the house. Martin was in the living room, dusting the center table when he saw Ranveer and Martha and hastened up to them to rid them of their overcoats. Ranveer took Martha to his study room and shut the door.

Martha and Ranveer took their seats opposite the desk and Ranveer offered her a glass of brandy that the latter willingly accepted. Taking a swig from it, Martha smacked her lips appreciatively and smiled at Ranveer.

"Mr. Ambrose and I have got everything ready. Just need you to sign on a few things." Ranveer accepted the file that Martha handed over to him and quickly read through it, before smiling at her and signing the documents.

"I'll have my appointments cancelled tomorrow. The hearing is at 5 now, isn't it?"

"Ranveer, you don't need to have any of your meeting cancelled. Mr. Ambrose and I will handle it."

"But-"

"Ranveer, please." Ranveer sighed and reluctantly spoke.

"Alright, if you insist." Martha nodded her head, before her eyes fells over the window that overlooked the garden behind the house and she smiled. Ranveer turned behind to see what Ranveer was smiling at and felt a loving smile cross his face. Ishaani stood outside in the garden area that now resembled a snow land, and was simply enjoying the snow fall.

"She looks like an angel now, doesn't she?" Ranveer smiled proudly and shrugged his shoulders.

"My _joie de vivre_." Martha smiled and stood up, walking near the window while Ranveer did the same.

"How are the two of you now?"

"Healing. Atleast we no longer have the nightmares. That night certainly worked its therapy." Martha nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Good. Have you told her about the library?" Ranveer shook his head, his attention still over Ishaani.

"No. Not yet."

"She'll like the gift." Ranveer tore his gaze away from Ishaani at long last and turned to look at Martha now. She gave him a motherly smile and Ranveer spoke honestly.

"To be honest, I think this gift comes as a saviour for both of us. I just hope that things work out well enough tomorrow."

"Don't worry, they will." Both of them stood silently for some time as they saw Ishaani enjoying the snow, cupping the snow in the gloved hands and then hurling it in the air. Martha chuckled and Ranveer spoke softly.

"Don't you miss David?" Martha looked at him in shock before she composed herself. Sighing, she spoke heavily.

"Every single day."

"And you never tried-?"

"Trust me, we were better off apart. And he did roam the world, leading a luxurious life, making a name for himself, even before he met me." Ranveer shook his head disappointedly.

"Luxurious, but not happy. And it did kill him eventually." Martha gave him a blank look, speaking with curt resignation.

"Ranveer, this isn't the time for all this." Ranveer gave her a defiant look before he replied back.

"This is precisely the time for this, Martha. Especially when I've just found out who the owner of the library is. And to think I've been approaching the Aubergine Estate from all these days and thinking that I had their support when the owner has been right beside me all along." Martha looked at Ranveer in stunned for a few moments before she composed herself.

"I left that life twenty-five years ago. The only reason why I chose to reveal my real connection with the library was because it was the need of the hour. You mustn't go about talking about this. This secret is now only between you and me. Not even Mr. Ambrose knows about this." Martha took Ranveer's hand in her own and gave him a meaningful look.

"You have my word." Martha nodded her head in satisfaction, while Ranveer's features turned into one of confusion. "But I'm curious."

"About what?" Ranveer studied Martha's face carefully before he put forth his question.

"Why did the two of you part ways?" Martha sighed. Ranveer was almost certain that she wouldn't answer his question before she did.

"Time, fate, destiny, circumstances. Name it and you'll find your reason. Ranveer, I was born into a very rich family as a child. I was just the child with the silver spoon in her mouth. It provided me with the world's greatest luxuries and comfort but I was never happy. If I were to be honest with you, I hated my life. The only happiness that I ever had in life was when I met David. We had a good run for two years before we got divorced. This library was our parting gift to me. He went his way after that and I my own. He gave me the power of attorney for the library and we never contacted each other from that day. The next time I ever got any personal news about him, it was his sister informing me of his death."

"Martha, I'm sorry."

"Yeah." Martha gave him a painful smile and Ranveer felt something breaking in his heart. Letting out a deep breath, she continued speaking. "I was considering calling him up and telling him that I wanted to reconcile with him and maybe we should give the divorce a second thought, given that we were still in the six-month probation period. Kind of a rude shock to me. The divorce got nullified given that we were still married, so I became his widow. From what his sister tells me, I was pretty much what killed him." Ranveer pulled Martha into a hug and spoke softly.

"Oh Martha, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Breaking the hug, Martha looked at Ranveer's downcast face and smiled sadly.

"It's alright, Ranveer. I have accepted the fact and learnt to live with it."

"But why didn't you ever reveal this to any of us?" Martha replied nonchalantly.

"Because I didn't want to. Truth be said, when David handed over the ownership of the library to me, I wasn't keen on it at all. Its only when I spent several nights in a row entrusting my guilty secrets within the hearts of the countless books did I realize what David had actually given me. He was always the kind - cared more about me than himself. You and Ishaani always remind me of myself and David."

"But Martha, you didn't-" Martha narrowed her eyes at Ranveer and the latter fell silent.

"Shhh. I don't want any comments about this. Neapolitan City may have had several stories connected to it, but for me, it was always the symbol of our incomplete love story. That's why I'm now handing it over to you, so that you can complete your story with Ishaani." Ranveer gave Martha a blazing look, while the latter met his gaze with a fiery look of her own.

"Martha, you didn't have to do this."

"Ranveer, think of this as my payback for what I put you and Ishaani through. You may have been noble enough to take my blame over your head so selflessly, but I'm afraid my conscience won't let me. It was my mistake that I'd given your vote in favour of the decision in your absence without consulting you. I don't see why you should pay for it,"

"But Martha-" Martha cut Ranveer as though she did not hear him speak and continued.

"And you shouldn't have told Pierre to stick on to that concocted tale of yours either. His story to Ishaani did a good lot of harm and zilch of good." Ranveer let out an exasperated huff and stared at Martha ruefully.

"Let it go, Martha. It isn't going to do you any good holding on to it." Martha narrowed her eyes at Ranveer, realizing that the sentence did not quite fit in while understanding the true intent of it.

"And what might that mean, _young man_?" Ranveer gave her a meaningful look.

"Martha, you are wise enough. So I'll be direct with you. Don't let his memories bind you." Martha smiled painfully.

"It isn't that easy. You, of all people, should know this."

"Yes and that's why I'm telling you. You need to let him go." Martha averted her gaze away from Ranveer's powerful ones and spoke silently.

"Don't bring this up. It's painful enough thinking about it without you talking about this so bluntly." Ranveer looked at her and spoke wisely.

"You should never have waited in the first place."

"Ranveer, you and I both know likewise. So stop wasting time over this._ Please_." Ranveer could hear the despair in her voice, yet he continued.

"You amuse me, Martha. You were the one who taught Ishaani and myself the importance of our relationship in its true sense. I don't like reverting your advice back to you." Martha sighed and replied.

"You know Ranveer, when I saw Ishaani for the first time, her aura reminded me of someone very close. It was halfway through my interview that I realized that it was you. The two of you are the halves of the same heart. The two of your cannot live without the other for it is your connection with each other that keeps you alive. But it was only when I got to know her did I realize that she was the miniature version of me. We practically had everything alike in our stories, except for the fact that she had a family who refused to take her back, I never went back to them. It was in that instant where I decided to reunite her with her husband and not let her become another me. So you can imagine my true joy when I found out that you were her husband - estranged, yet meant to meet again by fate."

Ranveer and Martha stared at each other for several minutes in silence, before the former spoke silently.

"I wish I could help you."

"You can. By giving Ishaani all the happiness in the world and by making sure you never let go for her. No matter what happens. The two of you owe that much to each other."

"We owe it to the three of you all well." Martha cupped Ranveer's cheek and smiled.

"Good. Now go to her and enjoy the snowfall with her. It's not always that you get such moments in life." Ranveer gave her a shrewd look and the latter kept her gaze steady.

"You are a mysterious woman, Martha Brandt."

"Well, David wanted a woman whose mystery he could spend the rest of his life solving." Martha looked up to see Ranveer smiling at her triumphantly and she blushed. "But nice try. It didn't work."

"Oh it worked like a charm, Martha. It worked like a charm."

Martha scowled at him and Ranveer smiled. Sighing, both of them exited the study room and put on their overcoats again, making their way to the garden, Ranveer firmly while Martha slowly faded away into the shadows.

Ishaani looked at Ranveer approaching towards her and she smiled happily. Reaching up to her, Ranveer cupped Ishaani's cheek and grinned.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Naah, not really. I love the snow." Ranveer gave her a confused look.

"Since when did you start liking snow?"

"Ever since I saw the first snowfall in Vari. Its beauty took my breath away." Ranveer gave her a bemused look while Ishaani blushed under his gaze

"You have certainly changed a lot in these three years, Ishaani Vaghela." Ishaani smiled at the surname Ranveer used for her and he gently grazed her cheek with his fingers.

"That I have. But I like these changes."

"Yes. Changes are certainly good." Ishaani looked to the ground, smiling unabashedly.

"Sometimes, when I go to think about it, it shocks me."

"Yeah, that's true. The Ishaani three years ago hated alcohol and couldn't stand anyone consuming it near her yet the Ishaani now beats me in a vodka-shot competition."

"Oh Good Lord, don't tell me you are still sore about it."

"Oh, I'm not. Just noting. Again, the Ishaani back then hated non-veg and certainly wouldn't wear the clothes she wears now."

"You make me sound like a daredevil."

"But it's only true. You are one." Ishaani smiled and gently pressed her lips against him, and Ranveer caught her to himself tightly to keep her a little warm. Separating after a few minutes, Ishaani smiled at Ranveer sweetly.

"I like snow for a reason."

"Well go on."

"You know, when you cup snow in your hand, it's all cold and aloof and icy. Makes you feel numb and it passes along the iciness of its own self to the other one. But the moment it begins feeling the warmth from the hand, it melts away, turning into water, purer than anything. The icy demeanor fades into a thirst quencher."

"Wow... that's deep."

"It does remind me of you too." Ranveer looked at her and smiled unashamedly, kissing the bridge of her nose.

"You are indeed an angel." Ranveer pulled her into an embrace once again, Ishaani a little surprised, before Ranveer whispered softly.

"I love you." Ishaani smiled against his fur coat and looked up to meet eyes with Ranveer. She kissed him slowly once again before she replied back soulfully.

"I love you too."

Martha looked from behind the wall and saw the two of them in a tight embrace. She smiled to herself, a tear escaping her eye before she cupped a little slow in her glove.

"Je t'amours toujours, mon cher."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43: Traditions of Modern Christmas**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani opened her eyes, cuddling herself deeper into her blanket as she felt the chilly weather make her shiver. Slowly slipping out from the bed five minutes later, she looked at the time and realized that she'd overslept by a margin of two hours, the time being 9am. Quickly putting on her slippers, she made her way to the washroom, while Ranveer still slept on, snoring softly.

Changing herself into a warm pullover and a pair of jeans, she descended down the stairs after fifteen minutes and gasped. The house had been transformed whole. The house now had the appearance of a magical castle, icicles covered here and there on the ceilings, while green and red streamers ran throughout the several different panels of walls, baubles hanging from them beautifully. A large Christmas tree stood in the center where the sofas and armchairs would usually be, and the tree was sumptuously decorated with baubles and candy sticks, while several gifts stood below.

Ishaani could only look about the place in awe as she wondered what beauty the living room would hold in the nighttime.

She looked around the place and saw Martin hurriedly entering the house, rubbing the palms viciously against the other to get heat. He saw Ishaani staring around the living room in awe and spoke softly.

"You like it, _madame_?"

"Martin, this is stunning!" Martin let the colour creep up in his face and smiled at Ishaani sweetly. The latter smiled before her brows furrowed up in confusion. "But when did you do this?"

"Once everyone went to bed. It's our Christmas tradition. The other helpers and I quickly put about the decorations once everyone is off to bed and make sure to have it all done by 3 in the morning. It works as a surprise in the morning." Ishaani looked impressed and spoke again, awe evident in her voice.

"What about the manpower?"

"I divide the helpers in 5 groups of 8 people each. We manage to get the job done in unison." Ishaani chuckled and Martin grinned.

"You make this sound like the elves helping Santa Claus."

"Something like that, yes." Ishaani shook her head and Martin spoke happily. "Wait till you see all the other rooms as well." Ishaani looked bewildered before her eyes widened in surprise.

"Other rooms?"

"Why yes,_ madame_. All the rooms are decorated. Except for your and monsieur's room." Ishaani looked stunned before she whispered excitedly.

"Martin, this is amazing! I mean, really, this is just... wow!" Martin smiled at Ishaani enthusiasm.

"_Madame_, you are being most kind. Would like to see the igloo and the snowmen?" Ishaani mouth fell in a perfect 'O' and she questioned with childish excitement.

"We have an igloo and snowmen!? Show me!"

"Very well,_ madame_. Just put on an extra pair of gloves. It's really chilly outside." Ishaani quickly rushed up to her room and put on the extra pair of gloves, making sure that Ranveer's sleep was undisturbed. Descending quickly to reach Martin, who was waiting for her by the door side, she smiled at him and he led her out to the garden.

The garden was exactly the same with its sheet of blanket snow, except that now a huge igloo stood in the between and Ishaani couldn't help but admire the craft with which it was built. Around it stood three snowmen like sentinels, and Ishaani chuckled whole heartedly. Walking close to the snowmen, she realized that they were dressed identically, with an old maroon overcoat covering their bodies partially, while a mauve hat stood on their heads. A carrot sufficed for the nose, while buttons were arranged vertically over the body. Two twigs were used as hands and two gigantic buttons made for eyes. A smile was carved on all the three snowmen, so that they actually looked welcoming.

"Martin, this is indeed magical!"

"I'm glad that you liked it, _madame." _Ishaani gave Martin and bear hug and exclaimed gleefully.

"Liked it? I love it! But you must tell me Martin, who started this tradition?"

"Actually, it was I, _madame_. You see, as a kid, I was always handed the responsibility of decorating the whole house single-handedly. My _Roi's_ house was just as big as this one, so I'm accustomed to it. On my first Christmas with _monsieur_, I decorated the house without asking monsieur. I was most afraid that _monsieur_ would get angry, but it was the first time I ever saw him have a genuine smile on his face. It was then that I mentally decided that this tradition was to stay."

"Yes. Ranveer always liked things like these." Martin nodded and continued happily.

"Every year, I would be rewarded by _monsieur's_ heart-warming smile. There was nothing more important to me than that. This will be my fourth Christmas with _monsieur_, and still his face remains the same shocked and mystified one each time he sees the decorations, as though he had indeed travelled into a magical land. Ofcourse, this year he has you. I've seen _monsieur_ smile like that nearly every day since you've returned back into his life and its treat enough for me and Claudine. And given that this is your first Christmas with us, I thought it a befitting way to introduce you to our Christmas tradition." Ishaani looked touched and spoke softly, her voice filled with emotion.

"Martin, thank you."

"For what, _madame_?"

"For being family." Martin smiled and the two of them made their way back to the house. Ranveer had just descended the stairs and yawned softly, looking about the place in fascination. Seeing Martin and Ishaani, Ranveer smiled.

"Gee Martin, you've outdone yourself this time." Martin gave Ranveer an embarrassed look. He was about to reply when Claudine entered the hall, a huge smile on her face.

"_Mon cher, c'est magnifique_!" Martin walked over to Claudine and hugged her, kissing her head. Ishaani noticed that Martin and Claudine were already dressed up for their shopping tour and Martin confirmed her assumption.

"You ready?" Claudine nodded her head and Martin turned to look at them. Ranveer smiled innocently and spoke.

"It's alright, Martin. Go. We'll manage get started then." Ishaani nudged Ranveer and he coughed softly. "I mean, we'll be alright. Martha will be coming over for lunch." Claudine snorted while Martin shook his head.

"M_onsieur_, Claudine and I should be back from the shopping by 4 in the afternoon."

"Alright, but make sure you buy the kids some awesome clothes." Claudine and Martin smiled and left the house, while Ranveer and Ishaani heaved a sigh of relief. Ishaani turned to look at Ranveer and slapped his shoulder.

"What on Earth were you up to? You'd have spoilt the whole plan!" Ranveer rolled his eyes at her and waved his hand airily.

"I said that on purpose, so that they don't doubt us and give us extra time." Ishaani narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Ranveer-"

"Oh come now, let's not debate and argue over this. It's Christmas Eve!" Ishaani understood the dropping of the matter and sighed. Ranveer smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. "So tell me, how did you like this?"

"It's brilliant! Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise. It's how we celebrate Christmas. 24th at home and then 25th in the igloo."

"Seriously? The _igloo_?"

"Yeah. Sounds insane, but its fun. What about you? Do you have any specific tradition?"

"Yeah. I spend every Christmas with the children of the orphanage. It feels good." Ranveer nodded at her understandingly and Ishaani looked hesitant. "I've been meaning to ask you this. Will you accompany me to the orphanage this year? For the full day?"

"But I-"

"I know that, sweetheart, but I can't. Those kids look forward to seeing me every year. I can't disappoint them. But I can't disappoint you either." Ishaani noticed Ranveer's crestfallen face, which he quickly camouflaged a moment later.

"It's alright. I don't like breaking my pact to Martin and Claudine either, but I don't see what can be done either." Ishaani shook her head.

"No Ranveer. I know what this means to the three of you. It's alright. You don't need to break your promise. I guess, we won't be able to celebrate it together afterall." Ranveer gave Ishaani a lost look before speaking.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ishaani looked at him and smiled sadly.

"Want to have lunch in the igloo?" Ranveer smiled at her and replied gently.

"Sounds good."

* * *

Martin and Claudine returned back in the afternoon and the house was taken into a storm with the shopping bags. Their dampened spirits improved by their lunch in the igloo, Ranveer and Ishaani now involved themselves completely over the clothes the Martin and Claudine had brought for the babies and smiled, Ishaani cooing over some of the outfits, while Ranveer smiling stupidly away.

Ranveer and Ishaani had both managed to convince Martin and Claudine to buy the other paraphernalia of the babies later on and managed to spend the next three hours deciding and debating on what would be the gender of the babies. The conversation proved to be both fruitful and useless, as Ranveer and Claudine ended up betting over the gender of the babies, Ranveer saying that it was to be two girls, while Claudine stating that it would be two boys.

Tired of the debate, Ishaani and Martin moved ahead to decide the names of the babies, but that didn't prove too helpful either. Finally wrapping up everything and making their way to their respective rooms, the four of them came back for dinner, while the helpers served them a sumptuous meal. Martin made to get up to serve, but Ranveer pulled him down to the chair, his eyes a clear message to Martin.

After dinner, the four of them were enjoying desserts, sitting on the sofa set that was not placed to the corner of the living room, when Ishaani heard several children shouting and talking excitedly. Keeping her plate of Strawberry Shortcake aside, she quickly got up and walked towards the living room, before she was swarmed by several children at one time.

It took Ishaani a moment to come to terms with what was happening before she realized that they were the children from the orphanage. All the children came and hugged her in swarms, while Ishaani smiled at them lovingly. Looking towards the door, Ishaani saw Ranveer talking to the dean of the orphanage and smiled, tears brimmed in her eyes.

She quickly kissed the children and directed them to the dining room, making them all sit down and having the helpers serve them dinner. Ishaani mentally thanked her stars that the dining room was spacious enough to accommodate 70 children in one go. She helped the helpers serve the food, Martin and Claudine now helping her out. She sighed contentedly seeing the children eat, before she saw Ranveer leaning against the door post and giving her a loving look. She slowly walked up to him, her mind still in a daze.

"Ranveer, how did you-"

"I figured that we needed to build a new tradition. Besides, there's nothing better than having children home for Christmas. Lots of children. The dean was happy enough to give the children a new atmosphere for the day. She has also given me a list of things that needs to be taken care of but I figure that you'll manage to do that. After all, I did get the kids home on the part assurance and I would take care of them and partly because, well, _you_ are my wife." Both of them smiled in common understanding before Ishaani remembered something.

"But what about-" Ranveer got the gist of what she was asking him and cut her politely.

"Oh don't worry. Luckily for us, the kids range from between 5-15 years old. So we can accommodate three per room. For the smaller ones, we can have four sleep together. We do have above twenty rooms ready and well decorated."

Ishaani walked up to him and pulled him away from the dining room. She looked at him teary-eyed before he hugged him tightly, Ranveer holding her closely to him. He could make out that her voice was shaking with emotion and could feel her body shaking slightly in giddy happiness.

"Thank you."

"Always." Ishaani nodded her head on her shoulder and pulled herself apart so that their head touched each other's. Ishaani kissed him on the bridge of his nose before she whispered back.

"So, can we fit in the igloo tradition tomorrow? Just the four of us?" Ranveer nodded his head happily, before he smiled.

"Oh yeah, we can fit that up certainly."

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done at long last! :D Sorry for the late update though. :( :(**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44: Le Joie de Vivre**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani woke up the next day to find the bed empty. Looking at the bed stand, she realized that it was 8 in the morning. Jumping from the bed, she managed to rush through her toiletries in the next 15 minutes. Hurriedly putting on her high-heeled boots, she quickly rushed down the staircase of see Martin, Claudine and Martha busy in animated conversation. Ranveer was nowhere to be seen.

The moment Ishaani reached the party, all the three of them gave her an excited look and hugged her, letting out greetings for the festive occasion. She yawned softly, her sleep incomplete due to the midnight mass and the dinner after that running up to two in the morning.

She gave Martin a questioning look and Martin spoke reassuringly.

"Don't worry, madame. The children are fast asleep."

"That's alright. But I must say, you look amazing today." Martin gave her a sheepish look and Ishaani smiled. She had never seen Martin in any casual clothes save for his butler's suit and his blue shirt and black trousers complimented his eyes, making him look much more charming.

"Madame, you are being gracious."

"Well, that's obvious that I'm bound to be so. Atleast you finally look human."

"But what did I look like before?"

"A penguin, to be honest." Claudine and Martha chuckled and Martin gave Ishaani a flustered look.

"Madame, you are bullying me."

"Oh Good Lord, Martin, stop talking like Ranveer. Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"

"Monsieur said that he will be back in some time. He told us to start opening the gifts."

Ishaani gave Martin an unsure look but the later nodded. Ishaani smiled and was about to pick up the first gift when she realized that there were none near the tree.

"But where are the gifts?" Before anyone could reply, a voice ensued from behind.

"Ho ho ho!" Ishaani turned around to see Santa Claus standing by the main gate in his entire attire, a huge sack on his shoulders. Santa trotted towards them, his belly shaking dangerously, while both Ishaani and Claudine burst out laughing at him.

Santa looked at them curiously before Ishaani managed to choke the words out, tears of hysterical laughter leaving her eyes freely.

"Ranveer, this is too much!" She and Claudine continued their laughing match before Claudine gasped and spoke quickly.

"You should have left this for Martin. Atleast he looks all convincing."

Ranveer scowled at both of them through his huge mass of snowy beard and both of them sobered down.

"Oh come on, don't pout like that. It makes Santa look invitingly adorable." Ishaani hugged Ranveer and Claudine cleared her throat loudly. Both Ishaani and Ranveer separated quickly, blushing furiously.

Ranveer looked at Claudine and frowned.

"Well, can we open the gifts now? Santa has got a lot of other stops as well."

"Oh alright, alright."

Ranveer bent down and opened his sack. Removing the gifts one by one, he stacked all of them by the tree so that by the next five minutes, the tree was loaded with a huge amount of gifts.

Claudine, Ishaani and Martin looked at Ranveer in shock before Ranveer chuckled and spoke.

"For the kids."

The three of them smiled at him softly and Claudine smiled.

"I change my mind about you. You make look like a misfit in the name of Santa, but your heart is as good as one."

Ranveer smiled and spoke happily.

"Come on, come on! The four of you exchange gifts first. Santa will hand out gifts last. But don't open them yet. I'll get out of this costume and be right back in 5 minutes."

The three of them nodded and Ranveer made a dash to his room. The gift boxes quickly made turns here and there, Claudine and Martin handing over their gifts to each other and the others while Ishaani handed over her gift to Martha. When Claudine and Martin didn't receive any, the former looked confused. Ishaani smiled sweetly.

"Oh don't look like that. Martha, Ranveer and myself have joint together and brought your gift." Claudine's face perked up considerably while Martin looked pleased.

"Oh do open the gifts."

Claudine and Martin went first, opening each other's gift with palpable excitement. Claudine opened hers to see a pearl necklace staring right back at her from a velvet green box. She looked taken aback before Martin spoke softly.

"My mother's." Claudine hugged him happily and gave him an admiring look.

"It's stunning." Martin relaxed and smiled back, while Claudine urged him to open her gift. On opening it, he looked surprised as a pair of turquoise cufflinks stared back at him.

"My father's."

"They are indeed beautiful." Both of them smiled at each other happily.

Ishaani then looked at Martha, who opened the gifts eagerly. Out came a plume hat from Ranveer, a brooch from Claudine, and a pair of topaz earrings from Ishaani. Martha was almost hallways through opening Martin's present when Ranveer joined them back and Ishaani quickly updated him on the gifts. Martha gasped as a copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ fell out from the gift wrap and she stared at Martin in shock.

"You found this?"

"I remembered you mentioning once to me about this book that your late husband had given this to you when he had proposed."

"I was so certain that I would never see this again."

"I remembered the inscription you told me about and when I saw the book and read it, all I could think was _'Voila!'_ I thanked my stars that I could find it." Martha looked stunned for several minutes before she looked at Martin teary-eyed, and spoke with emotion.

"Thank you, Martin. You could not have given me a better gift than this." Martha smiled and Martin stroked his cheek lovingly. Ishaani asked inquisitively.

"What's the inscription?" Martha smiled at her sadly, opening the first page. Stroking her finger over the page fondly, she read.

_"Sometimes, I think about dying. But then I get this frightening thought - what if you're not on the other side?"_

Silence reigned after Martha spoke the statement aloud, both the couples sharing uneasy looks at the statement's weight. Martha spoke absent-mindedly.

"Funny, how life's ironies are, aren't they? He gave this book to me as a sign that our love was meant to live eternally. He got that right, but unfortunately, we both paid a heavy price for it." When all the four of them gave sympathetic glances to Martha, she smiled. "Now don't let me become a party pooper. Ishaani, you're next."

"Ishaani went next with the gifts, opening them with a newfound vigor. She opened Martin's gift first, a very old edition of Wuthering Heights. She gasped, and looked at Martin in shock.

"Martin... this is... these copies don't come anymore. This hasn't been published since Charlotte Brontë published the re-edited version. Where did you find this?"

"I searched a lot. Finally I found this at the display of a second-hand shop in Vouliagmeni, the same shop I found Madame Brandt's books in. It took me a lot of convincing to do before he agreed to part with the book."

Ishaani gave him a watery smiled and flung her arms around him. Martin gave Ranveer a startled look with her reaction and awkwardly patted her back. Breaking from the hug, Ishaani spoke softly.

"Thank you so much, Martin." Martin smiled happily and spoke again.

"The shopkeeper tells me that there is a beautiful inscription on the first page of the book as well."

Ishaani nodded and gingerly opened the first page of the book. She could make out that the copy was no less than nearly 70 years old, and from what she could decipher, the copy was amongst the first copies that were actually published.

Down on the page was a signature and Ishaani realized that the book was personally signed by Emily Brontë, then signed under the pseudonym of 'Ellis Bell'. Turning her attention towards the top of the page, she gently let her fingers trace over the written inscription, while she read it out aloud.

_"Even though thou might know thy value of true love, it is thy part of life that determines whether thou truly lives or thou simply exists."_

_Ishaani let the words sink in and she spoke in dazed fascination._

"Martin, this is beautiful."

"Madame, I am happy that you liked it."

Ishaani nodded and opened the next present, that was Claudine's. Out came a velvet box and she opened it, a gasp escaping her lips. Perched in the box were two amethyst earrings, dazzling brilliantly in the bright light. Claudine looked at her and smiled.

"These were my grandmother's. She too, was a woman of element and charm. She came to France wearing these, wanting to seek a name for herself. Her journey was painstakingly hard, but she found what she wanted nonetheless. She passed these earrings to my mom, symbolizing that she was handing them down so that we could seek inspiration from it. My mother handed me these earrings, this time with an extra statement - that I should hand these earring to a woman of substance, not necessarily my next of kin. So I hand these over to you."

Ishaani looked overwhelmed before speaking slowly.

"Claud... I cannot take these."

"I won't go over the whole emotional drama, but I'll state it short and sweet. You _are _family but moreover, you _are_ a woman of substance and element. I've had loads of girlfriends, but never have I met one of your finesse. So please, I won't take no for an answer."

Ishaani looked at Ranveer pleadingly, but the latter simple shrugged his shoulders. She looked towards Claudine and smiled.

"Alright, I'll take them." Claudine smiled at her shrewdly.

"If you intend to return this back to me during my baby shower, you will be sorely disappointed." Ishaani blushed and let out a resigned huff.

"Fine, I'll keep them." Claudine nodded her head approvingly and Ishaani took the earring out from the box and put them on. Claudine gave her a dazzling smile.

"Now don't they look stunning on you?" Ishaani smiled sweetly and quickly turned to open the Martha's present. The latter looked at her keenly and said.

"This is for both you and Ranveer."

Both of them smiled at her and saw another similar velvet box. Bracing themselves, they opened the box together and let out a soft whistle. In the box were two titanium bands, with the symbol of the synchronized heart beats all around the band with a heart in the middle. A diamond was in between the heart, making the ring's appearance look aesthetic.

"I couldn't understand what to get the two of you, so I settled for this."

"Martha, this is beautiful."

"It indeed is."

Martha smiled at the two of them before speaking gleefully.

"Ishaani, now open Mr. Santa's gift." Ishaani took Ranveer's gift in her hand and frowned. The gift looked much more different in its shape and size. Opening the giftwrap slowly, she saw a brown envelop and gave Ranveer a confused look. Ranveer smiled at her and she felt the intensity of mystery double up in the air as she pulled out the contents from the mysterious envelop. She read through them swiftly and stared at them dumbfounded for several minutes before she turned to look at Ranveer and whispered fearfully.

"Is this... true?" Ranveer nodded his head and Ishaani pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug, sobbing openly into his arms. Ranveer smiled and stroked her hair lovingly while Claudine and Martin looked alarmed at her sudden outburst. Martha smiled broadly and Ranveer whispered after some time, finally breaking the suspense.

"Yes, Neapolitan City is now yours."

Martin and Claudine gave out shouts of joy and hugged each other while Ishaani broke free from her hug and stared at Ranveer in stunned disbelief.

"How did you do it?"

"Does it matter? Just think of it as my redemption for the mistake I'd done earlier." Ishaani gave Ranveer a curious look while Martha shifted her feet uncomfortably. She was about to speak when Ranveer shook his head and she fell silent.

Ishaani and Ranveer stared at each other for several minutes, before the former pulled the latter in for a kiss. Martin turned his face away and 'tched' in discomfort, while Martha chuckled. Claudine let them have their moment before she spoke.

"My poor kids are traumatized."

Ishaani and Ranveer both didn't pay any attention to what she said and stared at each other, both of them teary eyed.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other, while Martha spoke softly from behind.

"Son, open up your presents as well." Ranveer nodded his head and quickly opened the first box from Claudine that revealed a similar pair of cufflinks. Ranveer smiled at Claudine and spoke affectionately.

"Give Mr. LeBlanc my heartfelt gratitude." Claudine smiled, while Ranveer opened the second gift from Martin. Out came a watch and Ranveer looked at Martin happily.

"Gee Martin, thanks!"

"I know it isn't half as good," Martin saw Ranveer grit his teeth and continued quickly. "But I hoped you would like it. It's one of the things my father left me as my family heirloom. I wanted you to have it."

"Thank you, Martin. This does mean a lot to me."

"As an added bonus, I did get that collectible repaired. It's just as new as it was when you brought it home." Ranveer's face brightened up while Ishaani's gave an exasperated look.

"Just when Christmas looked good, you had to do this." Martin and Ranveer smiled and Ishaani couldn't help but let her lips twitch in amusement. Ranveer now opened Ishaani's present. Out came a pen that Ranveer instantly recognized and he smiled.

"Mota Babuji's pen. I didn't know that you still had it with you."

"I wanted to give you a good keepsake for Christmas." Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other in mutual understanding while Claudine shuffled her feet impatiently.

"But where's our present!?"

"Oh calm down, Claud. I was just getting to that." Ranveer nodded to Martha and Ishaani and both of them ascended upstairs. Ranveer continued. "Martin, get Claudine up to the first landing by the lift." Martin looked confused but obliged nonetheless.

Martin and Claudine reached the first floor and saw Ranveer, Ishaani and Martha whispering excitedly. The moment the three of them noticed the couple's presence, they sobered down and tried to put up a decent look. Martin and Claudine walked up to the place where they were standing and realized that it were the connecting rooms, the only two rooms where no children occupied room.

"What's going on?"

"Brace yourselves."

Martin and Claudine gave each other confused looks and Ranveer smiled.

"On the count of three. 1. 2. 3." Ranveer swung open the door open and Martin and Claudine walked in. Ishaani switched on the lights and both Claudine and Martin gasped.

The room was no longer is staple richly furnished one, but was instead made into a children's nursery. The room was choicely decorated, the bed being replaced by a huge twin baby cot, while the room was filled with paraphernalia related to the children's toys and other utensils. The room's bluish-purple hue went brilliantly with the furniture and both Martin and Claudine could decipher the tasteful choices that were taken into account.

Overwhelmed and touched with this gesture, they unlocked the adjoint door and saw that the room was now looking inhabitable. Ranveer spoke from behind.

"This is your room from now. And the adjoint is for the kids. We decided that it was better to give you the adjoint one so that you are closest to the kids, as well as you are comfortable as well." Claudine smiled but Martin's smile faded away.

"Monsieur, I cannot accept this."

"Excuse me?"

"Monsieur, I can't."

"Look, I don't want to spend Christmas explaining it to you, so let me be straight. I'm not doing this because of you or even Claudine. I'm doing it because I love those kids just as much as the two of you and I want them to be happy. All my life, I've seen my father work as a servant, and trust me, as much as I was proud of him, I hated seeing him like that. I'm proud of what I was as well, but trust me, I don't want your children to feel what I have. So please, if you call yourself family, do behave like one. Gone were the days when you were my helper and butler. I let you do it because you are so stubborn to be convinced but please, I won't hear an argument on this."

Martin looked at Ranveer irritably, opening his mouth several times bit deciding against it. When Ranveer finished speaking, Martin looked at him silently for several minutes, contemplating things in his mind before he spoke, resignation evident in his voice.

"Alright, monsieur. I won't make an argument over this. And on Claudine's behalf as well, I accept this. Monsieur, how will I ever repay you?"

"By shutting up and giving me a hug." Both of them hugged each other while Claudine, Ishaani and Martha held hands, their eyes brimming with emotion. Both of them separated and smiled, before all five of them began hearing the excited whoops and cheers from the living room. Martha shrugged her shoulders, smiling at the four of them.

"Well, I guess the kids are up."

* * *

That night, Ranveer and Ishaani sat in the room, calmly staring into of them were re-living the moments from the entire day, starting with the children excitedly opening their gifts to all five of them having their lunch in the igloo, to watching the kids play in the snow. The kids went back to the orphanage in the evening, giving warm hugs to all of them, bidding tearful farewells at the same time. Dinner later was a sumptuous yet subdued affair, the absence of the kids weighing down on all of them. Martha had retired back to her place for the night, while Claudine and Martin had shifted into their new room, both of them still reluctant.

After some time, Ishaani spoke quietly.

"It was indeed one of the most amazing Christmases I've ever celebrated."

"Yeah, the kids were certainly the cherry on the cake."

"I'm glad that we could give them such a good time. Those were some brilliant gifts, not to mention the igloo lunch. That was good. How did you arrange for the gifts so soon?"

"Well, I was Santa now, wasn't I?" Ishaani chuckled.

"Good point."

"We received some amazing as well."

"Oh yeah. Those are some memorable gifts." Ranveer nodded his head and Ishaani continued. "I'm glad Martin took it well."

"For now." Ishaani didn't need telling twice by what Ranveer implied. Instead, she took another track.

"I can't believe we won the library back. Why didn't you tell me about it earlier?"

"I wanted to give you a surprise. Besides, Martha got me the papers last afternoon itself. The verdict was just out."

"But I don't understand. Why is it on my name?"

"It's because the only way I could save it was by buying it. So I thought that since I was buying it out anyway on a 51-49% partnership, I might as well do it in your name."

"That's sweet. Atleast Martha and I both have a share in its ownership." Ranveer sat silently for a few minutes before he asked quietly.

"You knew about Martha being the owner?"

"Yes. It was a month ago. One afternoon, Martha had sent me over to her place to fetch some documents. One thing led to another and I found the ownership papers along with the power of attorney one with Martha's name on it. I asked Martha about it and she told me the whole thing. She made me swear never to mention it to another person, not even you."

"Martha swore me into a similar oath, funnily enough." Both of them looked at each other and smiled gently. Ishaani spoke again.

"Martha said that I could get back to the library from tomorrow."

"That's good."

"This Christmas was indeed magical now, wasn't it?"

"It was bound to be. Afterall, this Christmas did stand for what it usually does - to celebrate the joie de vivre."

* * *

**Phew! Finally got it done! :D :D Sorry for the delayed update though. :( :( I still have issues with my net. **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45: Caught in the Riptide**

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D**

* * *

The new year set in along with the chilly weather being at its peak. A strong blizzard had taken over Vari's atmosphere in a violent storm and rendered the city paralyzed for three days. January progressed steadily, strong winds whipping about the barren, snow-laded trees.

Ishaani had been re-instated as the assistant caretaker of the library, along with being introduced to the board members of the library. Ishaani and Martha now put in double efforts to keep the library at its glorious peak, while the library had never seen more buzz than it had in those days.

Claudine had now entered her eighth and final month of pregnancy, her mood now constantly off due to her two months of pre-maternity leave, and Martin did his best to keep her happy, going about his work as usual. But Ranveer and Ishaani did not fail to notice that in those days, Martin had entered into a new shell. He roamed about happily enough during the day with his errands, but there were several times where Ishaani and Ranveer saw Martin lost into another world, looking as though he was conflicted about something.

Martin hadn't come to talk about the rooms that they were given, which both Ranveer and Ishaani were grateful about, but both of them knew that something was off about the whole thing. Martin would whole-heartedly thank them and tell them how much it meant to him and Claudine, but both of them could sense a discomfort. Both of them tried to talk to Claudine about it, but surprisingly enough, she herself remained lost and confused whenever the topic would be out.

The stock markets and depression in the Greek economy was getting deeper, but Ranveer seemed to manage his shares in the market skillfully, steering his empire out of harm's way. Things back home were going smoothly as well, which was more than what Ranveer could hope for. Ishaani and Ranveer had both finally found hard rock and had managed to sail their relationship smoothly, their courtship becoming enjoyable once again.

It was the twenty-second day of January that saw Ranveer pouring over several files, while he jabbered away at the phone quickly. Ishaani entered the room and smiled at the situation of the study room. She walked in and slowly kept the cup of coffee she had got Ranveer, while the latter disconnected his phone.

"God, it's maddening today!" Ishaani gave Ranveer a sympathetic look and sighed.

"Whose phone was it now?"

"Maa's." Ishaani felt an unconscious lump rise up her throat and Ranveer sensed her discomfort. Finding her voice back, Ishaani asked slowly.

"How is she?"

"Good. Funnily enough, she asked me about your health and job and well-doing as well." Ishaani gave him a blank look and asked in a bewildered tone.

"Really?"

"Yes." Ishaani smiled gently and Ranveer eased up. "There's something up with her though."

"What do you mean?"

"Baba tells me that these days, Maa has become reasonable. After her whole initial shock and outburst during our Vegas trip, she has toned down now. Baba is confused as to how she has softened up so much. Ofcourse I didn't tell him, but I think I did sense a resignation in her voice, even the day when she blasted off." Ishaani looked bewildered, trying to figure out the sudden change in attitude.

"Resignation because she knows that no matter how much happens, your ultimate happiness lies with me?"

"Yes, but it's something more. Its as though she has lost the reason of her animosity. Curiously enough, Baba tells me that Baa is facing a similar scenario as well." Ishaani stared at Ranveer agog, her eyes disbelieving.

"You must be joking."

"No, I'm certainly not. From what Baba tells me, the animosity has pretty much died away ever since Parul and Devarsh got married." Ishaani gave Ranveer a frightened look, a strange anxiety taking over her senses momentarily.

"So what does that mean?" Ranveer gave her a deep look before he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Nothing much, really." Ishaani remained silent for a few minutes before she asked softly.

"Where is Martin?" Ranveer gave Ishaani a curious look.

"What do you mean?"

"Where is he?"

"Shouldn't he be around the house somewhere?" Ishaani shook her head.

"No, Claud told me that he left a note this morning, saying that he had a whole-day errand. The two of us thought that you might have sent him out for some business transaction."

"No, I didn't."

"Then where is he?" Ishaani and Ranveer looked at each other puzzled for several moments, before Ranveer spoke hesitantly.

"What did the note exactly say?"

"It only said that he'd be out the whole day on an errand and that he'll be back before dusk falls." Ranveer looked slightly pale now.

"Do you think this has got to do with why he has been acting so strange these days?"

"I guess so." Both of them shared an uneasy look before Ranveer spoke slowly.

"Alright, then lets do that for now. Although don't tell Claudine about this. Don't want to be putting her into any unnecessary strain."

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani stared at the door impatiently as the grandfather clock chimed seven in the evening. Claudine sat on the sofa reading a magazine, unaware of why Ranveer and Ishaani looked so stressed. Ranveer did his twelvth round towards the main door and back when Martin entered the house, tired but having a faint glint in his eyes nonetheless.

Claudine smiled at Martin and he smiled back, before she realised that Ranveer and Ishaani were giving him deadpan looks.

"Where have you been?" Claudine looked confused and turned to stare at Ishaani.

"What do you mean?" Ishaani looked at Claudine guiltily before she replied.

"Martin wasn't out on Ranveer's errand today." Claudine turned to look at Martin again, this time confused.

"Then where did you go, cherie?" Martin gave Ishaani and Claudine an uncomfortable look before he mouthed slowly, his voice barely above a shameful whisper.

"Interview." Ishaani and Claudine gasped, the former still confused.

"Interview? What interview? "

"At a company." A pin drop silence accompanied Martin's statement. No one spoke anything for several minutes while Claudine and Ishaani stared at each other in astonishment. Ranveer looked at Martin blankly while the later refused to meet eyes with him. After some time, Ishaani coughed awkwardly, speaking in a stunned tone.

"Martin... that's... that's great!" Ishaani felt a smile break across her features as the shock of Martin's statement abated, replacing it with palpable elation. Claudine looked at Martin in disbelief.

"Cherie... is this... is this true?" Martin nodded his head and Claudine felt tears escape her eyes. She walked up to Martin and pulled him in for a hug, while Martin envelopped her whole. Ishaani came to stand beside Ranveer and interlocked her fingers within his own in joy, but she soon realised that he was distracted. Ishaani frowned looking at Ranveer's expression and gently shook his arm.

"Ranveer, what's wrong?" Snapping out from his thought, Ranveer shook his head slowly and looked at Martin embracing a now-sobbing Claudine. The moment the two of them broke up, Ranveer spoke curtly.

"Martin, do you mind coming with me to the study room for a minute?" Martin looked uncertain but agreed nonetheless. Both Claudine and Ishaani caught on to Ranveer's hollow tone and gave each other bewildered looks.

Leading Martin along to the study room, Ranveer shut the door and sat along the desk, offering Martin the seat opposite. When Martin didn't move, Ranveer spoke slowly.

"Sit." Something in Ranveer's tone frightened Martin and the latter quickly took a seat opposite. Ranveer sighed.

"Sorry that I pulled you out from the hall so unceremoniously."

"It's alright, _monsieur_. But I don't understand. Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, but that can wait. First tell me, how did the interview go?"

"It went well, _monsieur_. The manager has called me for another interview on Monday. He said that my chances looked good."

"Good. But now I don't understand one thing. Would you care to explain that?" Martin looked uneasy and could sense the cold disappointment in Ranveer's tone.

"What is that, _monsieur_?"

"Why didn't you tell us that you were going for the interview?" Martin looked at his shoes and replied.

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"That's about Claudine and Ishaani. Why didn't you tell me?" Martin gave his shoes a petrified look and Ranveer felt his temper rising. "Martin, atleast look at me when I'm talking to you." Martin raised his cornflower blue eyes and saw a tired look on his face, mingled with curiosity and cold disappointment. Martin sighed and spoke softly.

"I wanted to g-give it a try before telling anyone about it." Ranveer cocked his eyebrow up skeptically and spoke, his voice now holding an undercurrent of sarcasm.

"Just like that?" Martin nodded his head vehemently, breaking his eyes contact with Ranveer and going back to staring at his shoes.

"Yes." Ranveer chuckled half-heartedly.

"Martin, you can lie better than that." Martin now gave Ranveer a guilty look as he slowly asked again, his voice now desperate.

"What do you want me to say, _monsieur_?"

"The truth." When Martin gave Ranveer a teary-eyed look, the latter sighed. "Martin, you should have atleast told me about this. I think I deserved to know."

"_Monsieur_, I am sorry. But I was afraid."

"Afraid that I would influence the result of your interview? That if I knew about it, I may use contacts and get you the job because of my influence, not your qualification, talent and skill?" When Martin gasped in shock, Ranveer smiled.

"_Monsieur_, how did you-"

"Martin, I know you. So please, don't insult my intelligence."

"_Monsieur_, I meant to tell you about this. But I don't know why, but I simply couldn't."

"Martin, I understand your fear. But trust me, I would never do anything like that. And Martin, even if you would have told me, I would have only adviced you on it. Its not like I would have asked them for favours or..."

The rest of his sentence trailed off as Ranveer suddenly saw Martin's pallor go swiftly from pale to grey. Ranveer narrowed his eyes at Martin in confusion, not comprehending what triggered such a reaction from him, before something clicked. Ranveer stared at Martin in stunned disbelief while the latter turned his face away from him in shame.

"Martin, all I knew about that day was that something drastic had happened that made you never want to see the corporate world again, much less a career in it. But I had no idea that-"

"Monsieur, please, I cannot talk about it." Martin gave Ranveer a pleading look, and the latter nodded his head in understanding.

"Alright." Both of them remained silent for nearly half an hour before Martin spoke.

"I intended to leave that day, when I collided into a person. That person happened to be working for a multinational company. I showed him by portfolio and he looked impressed. Said that he was ready to take my interview for a vacant position in the company. Decent salary and good learning experience. He told me that the HR Manager would be taking the final decision after the interview happened. I was ready to give it a try, so he took me along with him."

Ranveer looked at Martin uneasily as he continued.

"I went for the interview. I realized soon that the person I met was her assistant. He took the interview and he seemed happy with ny qualifications. He passed on the report to the manager."

His colour paled considerably and Ranveer didn't interrupt him. Martin continued, not botherng to stop.

"The assistant was pleased with my performance. Said that I could make it with the job easily. He dismissed me temporarily and told me to wait for 15 minutes till he conferred with the HR Manager. I waited. It was the first time when I was genuinely hopeful that things would turn out right. That was till the assistant left the room and signalled me inside. The manager saw me and smiled. Beckoned me to take a seat and roughly saw through my portfolio. She shut it two minutes later and told me that I would certainly get the job if I did her a favour."

Ranveer noticed that Martin now looked slightly green and he understood the rest of the scenario with ease. He felt nauseated and disgusted at the thought of what Martin must have been through and made to stop him from speaking any further, but Martin continued nonetheless.

"I was stupid, naïve. I did not understand what she meant. Its only when she suddenly walked up to me and kissed me the way she did, did I realise something was drastically wrong. I tried to get out from the room but it was locked."

Martin shut his eyes and Ranveer could see the tears leave his eyes. Ranveer felt a pair of tears escape his own as he remembered as similar incident from his past and what had happened thereafter. Ranveer felt unsure whether to question Martin further or to ask him to stop when Martin sighed and spoke remorsefully.

"I managed to run away from there before she could... before things became too bad, but I was scarred. I barely managed to run out from the building when I collided into someone again - my Roi."

"What? Him?"

"Yes. I stood there shivering, nail marks all over my arms and neck. I felt tainted but my Roi only laughed at me when he saw what had happened to me. He only shrugged his shoulder and told me that this was what faced me every time I tried to make a name for myself. He offered me to go back home with him and be in his bondage for life, or else to keep roaming the streets of Europe before I was washed away. I ran again."

Ranveer looked aghast and whispered slowly.

"I had no idea." Martin nodded his head and continued.

"I could not eat, sleep or drink for the next two days. I decided that I would never go back to the people where stooping this low was the cost one had to pay, neither did I want to go back to being treated like vermin either. I didn't know whether I was living or dead in those three days. I don't even know why I chose to reach Athens. The next time I was truly aware of what happened was when I saw you in the hospital and when the doctor told me that you had been by my side the entire side. It was when I got a new hope of living, for I saw that you were more conflicted about life than myself. I decided to bury my past and make a move towards the future by taking care of the man who gave me a new life."

Ranveer let out a deep breath while Martin now looked overwhelmed.

"Martin, I'm sorry." Martin shook his head vehemently, letting a few more tears fall.

"_Monsieur_, please don't apologize. You and madame have been telling me for my best. But I was too afraid. Afraid after what had happened once." Ranveer nodded his head in understanding, while Martin quickly wiped away his tears. Sitting in silence for several minutes, Ranveer questioned curiously.

"What made you reconsider?" Martin gave the question a thought before replying reluctantly.

"It was after the incident with Ms. Seville. But I think it was after _madame's_ conversation with me. I've been considering it ever since. But it was what you told me on Christmas Eve that made me give it a try, not for me, but for my children."

Ranveer nodded his head and Martin hid his face within his hands. Before the two of them could say anything further, they heard Ishaani yell out Ranveer's name loudly. Giving each other confused looks, both of them left the study room and saw Ishaani looking at them, her face a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Claudine was kneeling on the floor, her one hand in Ishaani's own and the other over her bump, a contorted look of pain over her face. Ranveer and Martin stared at Claudine in shock before Ishaani spoke swiftly.

"We need to hurry. Claud's going into labour!"

* * *

**Phew! Got this done at long last! :) :) No throwing anything over me for this.**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46: Arrival of the Newborns**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

It had been 6 hours since Claudine had been taken into the emergency room. Martin was with her, while Ranveer and Ishaani sat outside, waiting in anticipated worry. Both of them had a cup of coffee in their hands, a worried look on her face.

They distantly heard Claudine shriek in pain from the room and Ishaani clutched Ranveer's hand, a terrified look on her face.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ranveer looked in the direction of the ward and gave a reassuring nod.

"Yeah, I guess so. Claud's a strong girl." Ishaani nodded her head, keeping aside the cup of coffee and shaking her head. Ranveer gently rubbed circles on her back as she ran her fingers through her hair in a frenzied contact.

"It's going to be alright." Ishaani looked at Ranveer and let him pull her into her hug. She felt herself shiver slightly as she heard Claudine's voice from the room once again from her contraction. Sighing, she separated herself from Ranveer and looked at him soulfully.

"Do you think we are ready for it?" Ranveer gave her question a good thought before replying slowly.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ishaani nodded her head slowly and spoke hesitantly.

"I don't know, Ranveer. I know you will make a great dad, but I'm not too sure about myself." Ranveer gave her a reproachful look and pulled her chin up so that their eyes met.

"You will make a great mom. Trust me." Ishaani smiled and scooted closer to Ranveer, her head over his chest. Ranveer rubbed her back slowly and felt her ease up eventually. After some time, Ishaani eventually asked.

"You know, some days back, Claudine came to my room one afternoon. She was worried whether she would make a good mom. I told her that she was already one." Ranveer smiled and Ishaani sighed. "You know, sometimes I see Martin and Claudine and the way they are already so dedicated to the kids. I feel so afraid at times. You are already ready for it, even I am, but I just..."

"Worried." Ishaani gave Ranveer a shrug and he smiled. "All to-be parents are. Its only when you have that precious little in your arms do you realize that you have been ready for this all along. And no matter what, you'll always be there for them."

Both of them looked at each other in mutual understanding and smiled. Both of them sat silently for some time before Ishaani asked slowly.

"What were you up to?" Ranveer gave her a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?" Ishaani gave him a curious look before speaking meaningfully.

"With Martin. Why did you take him to your study room?" Ranveer replied truthfully.

"I wanted to know why he hid this from us." Ishaani now looked curious.

"What did he say?"

"Said he wanted it to be a surprise." Ishaani snorted while Ranveer smiled.

"He could do better than that."

"I told him precisely the same thing." Ishaani rolled her eyes and asked inquisitively.

"What did he say?"

"He told me he didn't tell me because he was afraid." Ishaani smiled while she now assumed instinctively.

"Afraid that you would influence it?"

"Something like that, yes." Ishaani looked at Ranveer intently while the latter gave her a tired look.

"Why do I get the feeling that there is something more to this that you are not telling me?" Ranveer tried to give her a blank look, but failed miserable. Leting out an irritable huff, he spoke slowly.

"There is, yes." Ishaani gave him an inquisitive look.

"Well, what is it?"

"I cannot say."

"Ranveer." Both of them stared at each other for several minutes before understanding dawned over her. "Wait, did Martin speak to you about that day?" Ranveer's silence was answer enough to Ishaani. She sighed. "It must have been hard on him."

"It was. I admire his courage." Ishaani nodded her head affectionately and Ranveer spoke slowly, his tone unsure. "You were right." Ishaani looked bewildered.

"About?"

"About what must have happened with him that day." It took a few moments for the statement to get registered, before Ishaani clsped her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Oh dear..."

"Yes. I can imagine what he must have been through." Ishaani gave Ranveer a guilty look while the latyer simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I so hoped in my heart that it was anything but that. I can only imagine how torturous it must have been for him to tell you everything."

"It was certainly hard... but not... rusty..." Ishaani looked up at Ranveer bewildered, while Ranveer looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"I... don't know. It's like, you know, he has not spoken about this for the first time in almost four years. Its like he has spoken about it recently. Am I making sense?" Ishaani gave him an alarmed look but somehow got the gist of what he was trying to imply.

"Not really... no." Seeing Ranveer's impatient expression, she hurriedly continued. "But say that you are right. Who on Earth do you think that he must have told about this?"

"It's not Martha for sure." Ishaani nodded in agreement.

"And it can't be Claudine because she had no idea." Ranveer frowned before something clicked in his mind.

"Unless, she does know about it." Ishaani shook her head vehemently.

"It can't be. It just... can't be."

"Why?"

"Because she told me so herself."

"When?"

"Just before Martin came over and... apologized." Ishaani understood Ranveer's point suddenly and gasped. "She knows! Martin told her about it! Its why she has been this calm this whole month when we asked her about Martin. She knows."

"That means I was right." Ishaani gave Ranveer a non-committal shrug.

"Not necessarily. Ite still speculation." Ranveer narrowed his eyes at her while she avoided meeting his gaze.

"But you do know its probable?"

"Yes. If she knows about this, it's good." Ranveer gave her a positive look.

"Yes. But I still don't understand one thing," Ishaani smiled and completed the question for him.

"As to if its true, how come Martin never told her about this before they got married?" Ishaani smiled seeing Ranveer flustered expression before the latter admitted coyly.

"Yes."

"I think he must have told her. Not in a direct way, but in an indirect one." Ranveer nodded his head in satisfaction and both of them remained silent. Ranveer spoke after a few minutes.

"Martin tells me that it was Eva's incident and your conversation with him that made him consider." Ishaani's face darkened at the mention of Eva's name but quickly regained her composure. Ranveer noticed the change in her features and chuckled.

"She really got over your wrong side now, didn't she?" Ishaani scowled at him.

"Don't even get me started."

"Alright, alright." Ishaani let out a deep breath and steered the conversation back to its original point.

"Coming back to the point, I didn't know that my conversation with Martin rubbed any effect over him, to be honest. I could see that he was just being polite enough and tolerating me, nothing else."

"Well then, you were clearly mistaken." Ishaani gave Ranveer a surprised look.

"How so?" Ranveer spoke intelligibly.

"You see, the incident was bound to have maximum effect on him. Eva too, belonged to the corporate world. The same kind of woman who would do anything for success." Ishaani flinched at the bluntness of his statement.

"It was a _woman_?"

"Yes." Ishaani gave a disgusted look. Ranveer continued. "I think its partly why he fell for Claudine despite what happened. Men usually lose faith over women after this, but Martin always had the gift of seeing the best in others. Claudine was an independent woman, well-earned and beautiful, but a woman of principle. Its why he reveres her." Ishaani let the information sink in for a few minutes before she spoke slowly.

"You know, I don't think that it was just my conversation with him. I think it was what happened between Claudine and him also made just as big of an impact. As much your slap." Ranveer cringed at the mention of the slap.

"Must you bring that up? It wasn't certainly one of my finest hours." Ishaani shook her head, while Ranveer groaned inwardly.

"No, it wasn't. But I'm sorry to say, I think it struck the perfecr chord with him." Ranveer shook his head in shame while Ishaani smiled.

"I still believe that I was harsh. But he was just so... unreasonable in that moment." Ishaani nodded sympathetically.

"And you slapped him back to reality." Ranveer jerked his shoulders, giving Ishaani a flabbergasted look.

"Still not one of my finest hours."

"True enough." After a few moments, she continued. "And I think that last strand was Christmas Eve. When we gave them the rooms. I think that finally gave him the courage to give it a shot."

"That's what Martin told me." Both of them sat silently, trying to take in everything that had happened to them in the day. Ishaani let out a long breath.

"Wow... I cant believe so much happened in one day."

"Trust me, we both know what can happen in a single day." Ishaani laughing cynically. After a few minutes, Ishaani spoke softly.

"I forgot to ask the main question."

"What's that?"

"How was his interview?" Ranveer smiled happily and Ishaani relaxed considerably.

"Good enough, he tells me. Says he has another one on Monday." Ishaani nodded his head and leaned back on the chair.

"Good."

Both of them sat silently as they finally heard the sound of a child crying. Both of them gave teary looks at each other before they heard another sound of a child crying. Ishaani looked at Ranveer excitedly.

"What do you think it is?"

"Two girls. What do you think?" Ishaani replied honestly.

"I just want them to be healthy. Boys or girls don't matter." Ranveer replied shrewdly.

"Then how come I saw you admiring the girls' clothes at the baby shop?" Ishaani blushed and Ranveer smirked at him.

"Alright, fine. But I think its going to be two boys." Ranveer nodded his head and spoke after a few minutes.

"Do you want a girl? For us?" Ishaani nodded her head and smiled.

"Me too." Both of them smiled at each other as the doctor exited the room. He looked at them happily.

"Congratulations. The twins are two boys."

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer entered the ward and saw Claudine sleeping on the bed, a baby in her arm. Martin was sitting on the chair with the other baby in his arm. Both of them looked the Ranveer and Ishaani and smiled, Claudine looked exhausted. Martin spoke softly.

"_Monsieur, madame_, do you want to hold the babies?" Ranveer and Ishaani looked stunned, and Martin smiled. He walked over to Ranveer and handed over the baby in his hands, that Ranveer caught gingerly, making sure not to hurt it in any way. Martin went back to Claudine, who handed over the other baby to him and he handed it over into Ishaani's arms. Both of them stared at the babies in their arms with stunned reverence and felt a bubble of love burst out in their hearts such like they had never known. Ishaani felt a tear escape her eyes as the baby in her arm caught her finger.

"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life." Ranveer looked at her and smiled. Turning his attention back to the baby in his arms, he spoke with emotion.

"This is... magical." Claudine and Martin smiled as the latter now kissed the former gently over her forehead. Ishaani looked at them happily before she and Ranveer slowly swapped the babies.

"What did you decide for their names?" Claudine smiled and spoke softly.

"The one in Ranveer's arms in Frederick Jean-Pierre LeCroix. He's the elder one from the two. The one in your arms in Georges Antoine LeCroix." Ishaani and Ranveer smiled, while the former stared hypnotized into the baby's half-open eyes.

"They have both got your eyes, Martin." Martin smiled proudly while Ranveer spoke in a mesmerized tone.

"And his smile as well." Martin and Ishaani smiled at each other in mutual understanding and Ishaani spoke softly, as she and Ranveer slowly laid them back over their beds.

"Welcome to the real world, little ones. Its sucks. You're going to love it."

* * *

**This got done much, much sooner than I expected and I'm thrilled! :D :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos.**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47: The Glimpse of a New Beginning**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Claudine was discharged from the hospital four days later, after a complete check up of the kids as well as herself. She and Martin both entered the house with the kids in their arms, while Ranveer, Ishaani and Martha waited eagerly for them, banners and streamers put up all over the place as a welcome for the new arrivals.

The house had become a humdrum in the next few days with the babies constantly in the limelight, Ishaani and Martha caring for it once the library hours were done, while Ranveer made sure to spend sufficient time with them once he got back from work. Ranveer made sure that all the helpers were to the babies' assistance and helped Claudine out with some of the work while Martin went about his usual errands, both inside and outside the house. Martin and Claudine remained exhausted due to the newfound task of tending to the babies continuously, that ended up being more tiresome at times, yet they had a different glow on their faces altogether, the glow of being parents.

The presence of the children had created an atmosphere of liveliness and animation, something the house had steadily lacked since the past three years. Ranveer and Ishaani were both thrilled with the new experience they were having, while the importance of a child in a couple's life became more and more pronounced to them. Both of them had several inhibitions about what awaited them at the final step, but they were content with what they had between them for now, enjoying every day as it came.

Martin appeared for his second and third interviews respectively, the managers getting steadily impressed with Martin's knowledge on the economy and market shares. He was called for one final interview the next week, that would be the decider. Claudine, Ranveer and Ishaani had made sure to prep his up properly before each of his interviews, making sure that they kept up his confidence level and gave him tips as to how to carry himself with confidence.

* * *

It was the 7th of February. Ranveer and Ishaani were hurrying over their breakfast, quickly shoving eggs and toast down along with a cup of coffee. Both of them were in for a quick discussion about the upcoming board committee meeting at the library that Ishaani was especially invited for, trying to figure out the reason behind it.

The two of them had hit a dead end when Martin and Claudine walked up on them, a smiled on their faces. Ishaani turned to them and gave them a joyful smile, before it faltered slightly at the sight of their haggard state. Ishaani instead gave them a sympathetic look.

"Are the kids asleep?" Claudine sighed in exhaustion, while Martin yawned sleepily.

"Yeah, finally. Those two just love to keep us on our toes." Ishaani beamed at them and Claudine chuckled.

"But they're adorable." Claudine and Martin smiled before the former nudged the latter. Ranveer and Ishaani looked at them curiously before Ranveer cleared his throat and asked softly.

"What's going on?" Martin grinned and spoke softly.

"Claudine and I have given it good thought. We want you to be Fred and George's godparents."

A pindrop silence continued, before which Ranveer stared at them in shock while Ishaani nearly missed choking over her coffee. Both of them looked at a loss for words, too dazed to think what to say. Claudine smiled at their reaction and spoke affectionately.

"We knew that we wouldn't find anyone more well-suited for being Freddie and George's godparents than the two of you. So, do you accept it?"

"Yes." Ranveer and Ishaani spoke in unison and hugged Martin and Claudine respectively, while the latter two gave loving looks at the new, overenthusiastic godparents.

Breaking apart from the hug, they heard the grandfather clock chime 7, both of them quickly finished their toast and hurriedly left the house, kissing each other goodbye, not forgetting to kiss the babies goodbye in their room without disturbing their sleep.

That evening, Ranveer sat in his study room, working over several files when Martin knocked over his door. Ranveer muttered a swift 'Come in' and Martin entered the room, a hesitant expression on his face.

"You called me, _monsieur_?" Ranveer looked up from his file and nodded. He gestured Martin to take a seat.

"Oh yes. Sit." Martin nodded and sat down quickly. Ranveer smiled.

"Is there something... wrong, _monsieur_?"

"Oh no. Everything's fine." Martin smiled and Ranver spoke with gratitude. "Thank you for giving Ishaani and myself the chance of being your godparents. It means a lot to the two of us."

"_Monsieur_, you have been the reason why Claudine is in my life. Its why we have two angels today. And _madame_ has been our greatest support right from the time she has entered our lives. If anyone deserved to be such a crucial part of their lives, its the two of you." Ranveer gave him an embarrassed look and Martin smiled lovingly. After a few moments, Ranveer spoke softly.

"I'm hosting a small party this weekend for the kids, along with another special announcement." Martin looked taken aback and made to protest, before Ranveer raised his hand up, stemming the former's flow of speech. "Martin, please." Martin pursed his lips and didn't argue further.

"Monsieur, must you do so much for us?" Ranveer smiled and spoke in a deep voice.

"That goes without saying." Martin gave Ranveer an twinkling look and the latter asked softly. "How are your preparations going?" Martin frowned.

"What about, _monsieur_?"

"For the interview. Its your big day tomorrow." Martin smiled and spoke happily.

"I feel prepared, _monsieur_. Its as though my children has given me a newfound strength to see life." Ranveer nodded approvingly.

"Good. This is what I wanted to hear. Just remember - tomorrow, don't let anything handicap you. Remember that this is something that you have waited for a long time. Its your time tomorrow - make sure you make it worth it. That CEO should know the talent you have in you, what you are truly capable of. Just go, and seize the day. Do it for yourself, and seek inspiration from your kids. Alright?" Martin gave Ranveer a warm look and nodded passionately.

"I promise, _monsieur_." Ranveer quickly got up and filled the two of them a quarter glass brandy. Handing one over to Martin, he raised his glass in a toast.

"To a brighter future." Martin raised his glass up and repeated after Ranveer.

"To a brighter future." Both of them downed the glass in a single go, the brandy warming them up in the chills of February. After a few minutes, Ranveer spoke again.

"Martin, I have had one of the helpers keep a three-piece suit outfit in your room. Wear it and go." Martin gave Ranveer a hesitant look and the latter sighed.

"_Monsieur_, you know I can't." Ranveer spoke patiently.

"Martin, the impression you make tomorrow will matter the most. I am not asking you to show yourself to be more than you feel you are for I know that's what you are thinking. Tomorrow, I want you to look like a man belonging in the corporate world, true to his word and capable of making his company look good in the market." Martin nodded his head vigorously before he spoke in a resigned tone.

"_Monsieur_, in these years, you have been my biggest support. You have been like an elder brother to me. How will I ever make it up to you?"

"On normal occasions, I would have said that its the deal with family. You can never do that, even though we both know that you have pretty much been doing that till before Ishaani came along again. But today, I think you did it by giving myself and Ishaani the honour that you have." Martin shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll wear the suit tomorrow." Ranveer gave Martin an appreciative look while the latter relaxed.

"Now that its decided, its one thing less to worry about. Which reminds me - have you got everything ready that I asked for?" Martin nodded satisfactorily, a merry look over his face.

"Yes, _monsieur_." Ranveer beamed and asked Martin in controlled excitement.

"Good. What time will your interview be done by?"

"At 2, perhaps."

"Good enough. Because I'll be needing your help on this." Martin puffed his chest like a happy cat, while Ranveer chuckled at the former's reaction.

"_Mais oui, monsieur_." Both of them sat silently for a few minutes before Martin spoke softly. "_Monsieur_, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Martin took a deep breath before asking cautiously.

"If Claudine and I were to move away from here some day, would you agree to our decision?" Ranveer gave Martin a scrutinizing look. Giving the question a good thought, he spoke softly.

"Depends upon why." Martin dropped the obscurity and spoke honestly.

"The company did speak of accomodation in yesterday's interview." Ranveer gave him a deep look before he asked slowly.

"Have they said where, exactly?" Martin shook his head, a tad bit of uncertainty filling up his eyes now.

"Somewhere in Vouliagmeni for all I know."

"Wouldn't that be far?" Martin shrugged his shoulders, acknowledging the fact.

"Yes, it is." Ranveer gave Martin a tired look.

"We'll get to that when the time comes. For now, I think its best that you concentrate on your interview." Not entirely satisfied with his reply, Martin unerstood the dismissal of the topic. He wished Ranveer goodnight and swung the door open when Ranveer spoke from behind.

"The house would certainly get much lonelier without the four of you. I wish I could say that I wouldn't agree, but we both know that it's time to let go." Martin turned back and gave Ranveer a teary look, before he shut the door behind him softly.

* * *

The eighth of February came with an unexpectedly good weather and Ranveer couldn't have been happier. Sitting at the dining table as Martin served him and Ishaani breakfast, Ranveer noticed Ishaani look at him expectantly several times, but each time, Ranveer would only give her a cursory glance and she would bite her lip, trying hard enough not to burst out.

Quickly having his breakfast, Ranveer quickly wished Martin best of luck, giving him last minute tips, the latter listening to him attentively. The moment Ranveer finished, he almost got up and made his way to the front door, while Ishaani looked harried. She sprung up desperately, losing all pretense and called out his name loudly. Ranveer turned behind, puzzled, while she walked up to him so that she stood exactly in front of him. Ranveer looked confused while she gave him an expectant look.

"Don't you think that you are forgetting something?" Ranveer wrinkled his brows in thought, a deep look on his face before he brightened up. He slowly snaked his fingers over Ishaani's waist and pulled her in for a long kiss, at the end of which Ishaani looked dazed. He smiled and spoke happily.

"I forgot that today was your meeting with the board members. All the best, sweetheart." Ishaani's happy look changed into one of extreme disappointment, which she tried to quickly camouflage. Ranveer caught her look and smiled.

"Sweetheart, don't be so disheartened. They aren't even that painful as well." Ishaani bit her lip again as Ranveer quickly made his way out from the house, giving her one, final kiss on her forehead. The moment Ranveer left, Martin came behind Ishaani and tapped her shoulder. Ishaani turned around behind, her eyes dewy, as Martin gave her a broad smile.

"Happiest birthday to you, madame!"

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done quick enough as well. :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48: The Days of Our Lives**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

**Ps. Happy Birthday, MM! This chapter is dedicated to you. ;) ;)**

* * *

Ishaani paced about the various shelves of the library, her mind running into an overdrive. One of the readers walked up to her and handed over a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Ishaani absent-mindedly kept the book on the shelf. The reader smiled at her and thanked her before making her way out. Ishaani simply stared at her simply, before she slammed the copy of the The Big Four on the table in frustration, frightening the few readers sitting in the vicinity.

Quickly giving them an apologetic look, she kept the book back on its respective shelf before walking back up to her desk. Martha saw her apparent irritation and clicked her teeth in disagreement.

"Sweetie, must you make such an issue about it?" Ishaani looked close to retorting heatedly before she fell silent under Martha's gaze. Letting out a breath, she spoke grudgingly.

"You won't understand." Martha shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe." Ishaani sighed and spoke in a childish tone.

"A simple 'Happy Birthday' would have done." Martha gave her a shrewd look.

"Ishaani, look at me." Ishaani couldn't help but turn a dejected pair of eyes in her direction, feeling extremely ashamed of her behaviour. Martha smiled. "Were you expecting too much from Ranveer just because you outdid yourself during his birthday?"

Ishaani gave Martha a flustered look and the latter smiled wisely.

"Funny, how that happens." Ishaani gave Martha a blotchy look and she smiled. "Sweetheart, such things happen. Besides, you must never expect so much, neither must you take such things to your heart. It happens with all couples at some point of time or the other."

"But this is Ranveer..." Ishaani smiled at Martha sadly before speaking half-heartedly. "I guess you're right. I'm being really stupid." Martha smiled warmly and Ishaani gave her a hug. Breaking out from it after a few moments, Martha smiled sweetly.

"Now that's like my girl. So tell me, how are little Freddie and George doing?"

"Oh, they are perfectly alright. Those two are the whole and soul of our house now. Which also reminds me, Claud and Martin made us their godparents!" Martha beamed at her as she could sense the joy in Ishaani's voice and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Sweetheart, this is great! Godparents! Rare are those who get this opportunity. Make sure that you seize it to your fullest." Ishaani nodded her head religiously and smiled.

"Yeah. Ranveer and I are thrilled about it." Martha patted her cheek affectionately and spoke softly.

"Which also reminds me. Is Martin prepared for his interview?"

"Yes. He did look confident enough." Martha gave an approving nod.

"Good. And what about you?" Ishaani cocked her eyebrows up in question.

"What about me?"

"Are you ready for the meeting?" Ishaani's features relaxed as she let out a huff.

"I guess so." Giving Martha a calculative look, she spoke astutely. "You've been stressing on it far too much. What's going on?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Put on your overcoat and ring the bell out. We don't want to reach Naxou late, especially in this kind of traffic."

* * *

Ishaani strolled about the library, arranging all the books in their respective shelves, a small smile on her face. Her birthday had no been ruined entirely in her opinion, especially after the meeting with the committee members. The library was empty save for herself, and she hummed a small tune as she went about her tour around the library. This was her favourite time of the day, for the library's dim, yet sufficient lighting would have a strange element of romance that took her to another world altogether.

Somehow, she felt a strange euphoria burst in her heart that evening, even though she didn't know why. It was when she was keeping the copy of _The Shining_ in the Horror section did she feel someone's arms curl around her waist from behind. She gasped as felt a huge smile break over her features involuntarily, before she even turned around. She revolved around slowly, her eyes meeting Ranveer's own fiery ones as he smiled at her broadly, a blazing look over his features and Ishaani could feel his gaze melt her whole.

She felt him lead her backwards softly until her back hit the wall. She looked at him curiously, her arms automatically finding its way around his neck. He smiled at her seductively.

"I was hoping to catch you unawares."

"It never gets old, does it?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and Ishaani look confused. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I just left from work, so I thought I'd give you a ride along." Ishaani nodded her head averting her eyes from his own alluring ones.

"Oh alright. I though Martha gave you a call or something."

"Curiously enough, she did. But all she told me was that you were upset for some reason. Why was that?" Ishaani gave a confused look, pretending to rack her brains.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps there was something important today." Ranveer gave out a theatrical gasp, and Ishaani couldn't help but feel her lips twitch.

"Oh my, was there really?" Ranveer stared at her intently, but somehow, Ishaani could see the glint within the camouflage blankness that suddenly sprung up in his eyes.

"Martha told you know, didn't she?" Ranveer wrinkled his brows, before smiling slowly.

"Why would Martha tell me something I already know?"

Ishaani's eyes widened in surprise as Ranveer smirked. She made to speak, but decided against it as she could feel Ranveer give her a gleaming look. Ishaani realized that the two of them were close enough, so that she could now feel the heat of his body warm her own, hearing the soft whisper of his breath as he exhaled.

She inched closer, and felt his hand encircle her waist again. Ishaani looked up at Ranveer, his soft brown eyes already locked on her own, while he ran his fingertips up her forearm, leaving a trail of goosebumps blooming in their wake. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, his thumb running along the curve of her cheekbone while she nestled into his hand, feeling his warmth seep into hers.

Ranveer leaned in, his lips parting slightly, his eyes flitting down to rest on her lips. Ishaani was barely aware of what was happening to her in that moment, as she felt his lips leave a gentle, lingering touch over her own, a hesitation on both their parts as they touched, as though both were taking the time to memorize the feeling before they parted. Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other a momentary look, before he crashed his lips over her own once again, this time in a heated liplock, Ishaani's fingers locked within Ranveer's hair while his arm remained around her waist protectively, the other one slithering its way through her back, while they moved back and forth steadily.

Breaking apart reluctantly after a few minutes, both of them looked at each other in a mesmerized way, before Ishaani spoke, her tone uneven.

"You are really getting good at this. But this doesn't mean that you are forgiven. Understood?" Ranveer gave her a tantalizing look and she blushed.

"Yes ma'am. Just give me a chance to redeem myself and I won't disappoint you." Ishaani narrowed her eyes at him as he forwarded his arm out. Ishaani shrugged her shoulder and locked her arm within his and spoke her other finger threathningly.

"This better be worth my wait, Mr. Vaghela."

"Don't worry, it is."

* * *

Both of them got down from the car, Ranveer smiling from ear to ear, while Ishaani had a conflicted expression on her face, sometimes irritated, other times simply curious. Ishaani made to enter the house, but Ranveer caught hold of her arm. Ishaani looked confused.

"Not now. We have a small detour to be made at first." Ranveer smiled mysteriously and Ishaani sighed.

"Must you be this mysterious?"

"Well, given that you were disappointed that I 'supposedly' forgot your big day, I thought you'd be more excited than this." Ishaani gave him a bewildered look.

"I thought so too, but I just... I don't know." Ranveer gave her a scrutinizing look and smiled.

"Don't worry. I don't think I've ruined your mood entirely. And even If I have, you'll love this." Ishaani couldn't help but get more curious over Ranveer's confident approach.

"Gee, I can't wait for it."

"Good." Ranveer led Ishaani along with him slowly towards the garden area. Ishaani, for the life of it, couldn't imagine what Ranveer had in store for her. It was only when they entered the garden did Ishaani feel the breath get knocked out of her. Hundreds of sky lanterns surrounded the area, placed carefully so that it didn't damage anything. The garden now had a heavenly golden glow that dazzled Ishaani with its beauty, while all the shrubs below were lightened by the lanterns.

Ishaani walked around the length of the massive garden, admiring the effects with a fascination she had never felt before. She understood now why Ranveer was so calm about her liking his present because it was amongst one of her fantasies to celebrate her birthday in an area full of sky lanterns. She could only imagine the amount of preparations Ranveer must have done to have those many lanterns and have them set up in so short a time.

She felt embarrassed for having her outburst at him and turned to look at him apologetically. He walked up to her and took her into his arms slowly, both of them enjoying the calm bliss of the night. Breaking off from their embrace slowly, Ranveer spoke softly, making sure to look into Ishaani's pair of mesmerizing eyes.

"Happy Birthday, love. Did you like it so far?" Ishaani felt at a loss to frame her sentence before she mouthed out the only word that crossed her mind.

"Yes." Ranveer gave her an admirable look and whispered softly.

"Good. Look up."

Ishaani looked up to see several hundred sky lanterns flowing through the air, the night suddenly much more illuminated that before. She looked at Ranveer and saw him staring at her stunned features with a satisfaction of his own. Ishaani could have sworn that the night was as clear as water ten minutes earlier when they had arrived at the mansion, yet the scene before her was nothing short of magical.

Before she could say anything further, she felt Ranveer's form diminishing out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look in his direction, only to see that Ranveer had gotten to his knees, a velvet box in his hand. Ishaani gasped as the speech on her lips died away while Ranveer opened the box to reveal Martha's gift ring. Smiling at Ishaani with his eyes the same pools of love and passion, he spoke earnestly, taking Ishaani's hand into his own.

"Ishaani Harshad Parekh, will you marry me?" Ishaani smiled broadly through the tears that flowed down her face, while she replied soulfully.

"All you had to do was ask." Ranveer nodded his head in embarrassment and spoke cheekily.

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes'." He quickly slipped on the ring over her finger, while Ishaani smiled, still dazed with what had happened to her in the last few minutes. Ranveer got to his feet and enveloped her into his arms once again, this time both of them swaying slowly. Ishaani could have sworn that she heard a distant wolf whistle from somewhere close, but all she could do was goofily smile into Ranveer's chest.

Separating slowly, she smiled at Ranveer coyly, while he slowly pushed her hair behind her ears. Ishaani slowly opened her purse and removed a similar velvet box from her bag, that contained the other half of the band that Martha had gifted them. She slowly slipped over the ring on Ranveer's finger, while both of them admired their rings, the heartbeat all around it shining in the glow of the lanterns, while the diamond over the heart glowed luminously.

Both of them made their way to the house, enjoying each other's silence that spoke volumes of what the other was speaking. The house was doused in darkness as they entered it, that quickly became bright, streamers and balloons falling over them along with confetti. Ishaani felt the next few minutes a blur as she felt Martin, Claudine and Martha hug them turn by turn, while Claudine pulled her excitedly to the middle of the hall, where a huge cake stood. Fred and George looked at everyone curiously from their prams that stood beside the cake table, confused at the cause of commotion.

Cutting the cake as everyone sang for her, Ishaani could only feel the same euphoria burst in her heart in glory, a strange satiation filling her up, as Ranveer stood beside her, staring at her with love blooming in his eyes. She was finally having the days of her life.

* * *

**Phew! Finally got it done! :D :D **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49: The Valentine Fever**

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D**

**Ps. Happy Birthday, Matsh! :D :D This chapter is dedicated it you. :* :* I hope you like this. :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani and Ranveer were lying beside each other in bed that night, Ishaani bstroking Ranveer's hair lovingly. After cutting the cake, during which a lot of the cake found its place on her face, all of them pushed to the dining room, where a sumptuous meal awaited them all, courtesy of Claudine and Martin's combined cooking skills. The party ended two hours later, with Claudine and Martin retiring to bed along with the kids and Martha stayed back for the night.

"This was probably one of the most extraordinary birthday's I've ever had." Ranveer smiled while Ranveer kissed her fingers.

"I'm glad it could be that way." Ishaani couldn't help but speak in a childlike tone.

"The dinner Claudine and Martin cooked up was amazing! And the cake! Wow! When did you get the time do all this?" Ranveer gave her ana mused look before speaking modestly.

"I asked Claudine to get the helpers co-ordinate with the decorations in the morning. She got to cooking half of the meals for dinner and Martin got back from his interview and got the rest done. The lanterns were pretty much ready to be put into use from three days." Ishaani smiled broadly and both of them remain peaceful for a couple of minutes before Ishaani spoke again.

"I'm glad that his interview went well. I just hope that the response two days later is a positive."

"I hope so too." Ishaani let out a deep sigh before speaking knowingly.

"You'll miss them a lot now, won't you?"

"More than anything else." Ishaani nodded her head in acknowledgement, now speaking lovingly.

"I'll miss them too. But then again, I'm happy that you're well equipped to accepting changes the way you do." Both of them smiled in mutual understanding and Ranveer spoke lovingly.

"I'm glad that I could make your day memorable. You really did set the bar pretty high enough with what you did for my birthday." Ishaani narrowed her eyes in a playful manner.

"I hope that we are not in a competitive spirit now." Ranveer gave her a sheepish look before he spoke slowly.

"Ofcourse not. But that reminds me - you do know what's next week now, don't you?" Ishaani blinked her eyes in confusion before it struck her.

"Valentine's Day." Ranveer stared at her intently which made her smirk.

"I'm glad you remember. I hope what you have for me is pretty good enough. Coz my gift is pretty much high on bar you know." Ishaani stuck out her tongue.

"Not a chance. I've already decided what to give you. Your gift doesn't stand a chance against mine."

"That's not possible."

"Its true." Both of them stared at each other in a determined look before both of them chuckled, amused by their childish antics. Both of them took some time before they sobered down. Smiling at each other, Ishaani scooted closer to him, while Ranveer sighed.

"Did you really think that I'd forget your birthday?" Ishaani gave him a hesitant loo before speaking truthfully.

"I knew it in my heart that you didn't forget it, but I just... I don't know why..."

"You were afraid weren't you? Not used to things going on this smoothly without a hitch?" Ishaani shook her head in shame before admitting it.

"Something like that, yes." Ranveer nodded his head in understanding and Ishaani smiled. Brightening up, she spoke happily. "On a lighter note, Martin, Claud and Martha really put up a good show. Such accomplished acting."

"Well, what can I say!" Ishaani saw a flustered look on his face and suddenly got up, looking attentive. "What happened?"

"Uhm... let's just say that only Martin knew about this." Ishaani burst out into a long series of uncontrolled laughter as she could imagine the hell that Martha and Claudine must have rained over him before he let them on to his plan.

"Well, it serves you right in a way. But, you more than made up for my early morning upset." Ranveer nodded his head in agreement.

"True enough. Funny, that reminds me about a certain board meeting you had. What was that about?" Ishaani once again gave him a winning smile, before she spoke excitedly.

"They, uh, promoted me to the core board members group. Made me a part of the Top 7, given that Ms. Greene had to retire." Ranveer grinned at her happily.

"Hmmm... doesn't that call for a celebration?" Ishaani now cocked her eyebrows in skeptical consideration.

"Depends. You still have this surprise gift of yours that you aren't letting out."

"Well, alright. You'll have your surprise gift too." Ranveer slid out from the bed and smiled at her teasingly. Ishaani couldn't help but bite her lip in excitable pleasure as to what was to come her way. "Meet me here ten minutes later... wearing only your ring." Ishaani felt her mouth fall open in shock, before she gave him a goofy smile. Ranveer winked at her before speaking roughly. "The clock's ticking, Mrs. Vaghela."

* * *

The next week passed off without much event, except that Ishaani workload at the library had doubled due to her newfound duties. Claudine seemed to have got the hang of finally managing the kids efficiently and was pretty happy with the way things were going, . Martin had received a call stating that he had managed to get the job, that sent about another set of celebrations in the house.

But the most awaited day of the week was the upcoming Valentine's Day. Ranveer and Ishaani sat in their room, the former going through some files while the latter was reading a book. Finally shutting it close as she couldn't concentrate anymore, Ishaani asked curiously.

"So!" Ranveer looked up from his file and gave her a curious look.

"So, what?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

"Well, it's Valentine's Day!"

"And I never noticed it, even after that romantic breakfast that you made me." Ishaani threw a pillow at him and he sobered down instantly.

"Funny. But as I said, I'm curious to know. What have you got me?" Ranveer clicked his tongue in mock disapproval and Ishaani huffed impatiently.

"Oh, Sunny. Its just 4 in the afternoon. You must be patient." Ishaani gave him an indecisive look before she decided to remain silent. Ranveer stared at her intently before he smiled.

"Its just four hours more to go." Ishaani smild at him nervously, while he kissed her forehead slowly.

* * *

Dinner was a tense affair as Ranveer and Ishaani had the house solely to themselves after nearly two months. Martin and Claudine had gone out for dinner while the kids were with Mr. and Mrs. LeBlanc. The helpers were given the day off and Ranveer and Ishaani enjoyed the precious silence that the house offered after a noisy three weeks.

Dinner getting done with quickly, Ranveer slowly led Ishaani back to the room, while Ishaani looked surprised. Ranveer smiled at her lovingly.

"Well, I think its time for your gift." Ishaani looked at him curiously as he slowly brought out a gift wrapped packet from the cupboard and handed it over to her. Ishaani looked curious and tore open the packet with equal fell a book from the packet. Ishaani looked surprised as she opened the book, noticing the name _Ishaani Vaghela_ instead of _Ishaani Parekh_. Smiling, she quickly brushed through the pages, her mind confused. She looked up at Ranveer in confusion, before he spoke softly.

"That's us. Our story. Till yesterday." Ishaani gave Ranveer a blank look for a few moments before it hit her. She gasped, as she brushed through the pages once again, this time paying more attention. Instantly, she could see all the incidents play out that had happened with them in the past eight month, and she stuttered in stunned fascination.

"This is... extraordinary. Wherever did you get the idea from?"

"It was the day you left your copy of Hamlet with me. I'd decided that day that I'd re-write our story. And I did." Ishaani stared at him in shock before she spoke finally.

"Where on Earth do you even get such bizarre ideas from?! Its lovely!" Ranveer gave her a flustered look.

"Told you. You can't compete with it." Ishaani smiled slowly, her features suddenly sharp and more confident as ever, as she slowly pulled out a small giftwrapped box from her drawer by the bedstand. She handed the box over to Ranveer, a deep look in her eyes and the latter opened it a newfound excitement, before a small box was visible. Burrowing his eyebrows as he opened the box, he saw a key looking back at him.

He raised his head to look into Ishaani's dazzling pair of onyx eyes, his own ones projecting confusion.

"Sunny, a key?" Ishaani nodded her head and spoke softly.

"It's _the_ key." Ranveer looked puzzled for a couple of minutes before understanding dawned over him. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the key in a revered devotion, raising his head up once again to affirm his question with Ishaani. The latter nodded her head, a loving smile on her face.

"Six months ago, I entrusted you with a box. A box that contains my past. I told you that day that I was entrusting you with a locked past. The day we have each other's trust whole, you will be able to unlock it."

"And, you entrust me with the key?"

"No, I entrust you with my _trust_. There is no one that I trust more than you, Ranveer. Not even myself."

Ranveer stared at her silently for a couple of minutes in deep silence, before his eyes became moist. He could see Ishaani's eyes moist as well and gave her a hug. The next ten minutes passed on with both of them in each other's arms, silently taking in the other's scent while they basked in the glory of what they were entrusted. Knowledge and trust werw both imparted to each other, and all they could do was thank their stars in appreciation.

Breaking apart from their embrace, Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other, before he made her sit down on the bed. He walked over to the cupboard and brought out the box that Ishaani had entrusted him. He kept it in between them and slowly put the key inside the keyhole and turned it. The lock clinked, and Ranveer smiled nervously at Ishaani. She, however, simply held his hand and gave him a reassuring look.

Ranveer opened the lid of the box and suddenly felt a mixture of emotions that he had never felt before - a thrill yet a fear, an elation yet an apprehension, pride yet shame. Ishaani's grip on his hand became stronger and Ranveer looked up to see Ishaani give him a strong look. He nodded his head and removed the first iten from the box, her mangalsutra. Ranveer shut his eyes and ran his fingers through it as the chain evoked several memories in his mind, both pleasant and vice-versa. He opened his eyes and saw Ishaani give him an unsure look and he spoke reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I won't reopen my old wounds. Because they no longer exist." Ishaani smiled in understanding and Ranveer proceeded.

Ranveer pulled out his chain with the bullet locket attached to it. He quickly tossed it aside without giving it another look and Ishaani sighed. Next, he pulled out a small box of kumkum, that he quickly realized was her sindoor. He kept it aside with care and noticed two different pairs of a few broken pieces of bangles, both having dried blood over them. It didn't take him a moment to figure out at what point of time they belonged to.

Sighing, as regret welled up in his chest, he removed a dried rose along with two movie tickets from the box, and he smiled, distant memories playing in his mind. Keeping them aside, he removed the two letters that were placed carefully in the box.

Taking the first letter in his hand, he opened it and soon realized that it was the last letter he had written to her before their life took a turn for the worst. He smiled as the emotions behind the letter stirred up in his heart, his mind still ablaze with the emotions he had written them with. Smiling distantly with the bittersweet thoughts, he kept it aside and opened the second letter.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ishaani flinch slightly. Raising his head up, he noticed that Ishaani's pallor had paled slightly. He gave her a concerned look and she shook her head vigoruously

"Love, if you don't want me to read it, it's completely alright."

"I trust you with it." Ranveer gave her an unsure look but she now gave him a determined now. Nodding his head, he opened the letter, reading it slowly.

It took him barely two moments to surmise that the letter was written by her mother to her during her initial days in Greece. After reaching the end of the letter, Ranveer looked up in pain and Ishaani gave a blank look.

"It's the only letter Maa replied to out of the dozens I've written to her. She told me that the only time I would truly gain her forgiveness was when I set things straight with you."

"Why hasn't she replied in those six months then?"

"Because she knows I have someone who loves me unconditionally now." Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other guiltily and spent the next few minutes in a sticky silence. After a few minutes, Ranveer spoke slowly.

"I notice that you have no particular keepsakes from your time in Greece."

"All the keepsakes are in the room. The only keepsake that I have from before my time here is Nitin uncle's clock that he'd gifted me four years back." Ranveer gave her an empty look for a few momemts before he spoke hoarsely.

"This is a terrible yet beautiful priviledge."

"Isn't everything now?" Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other a meaningful look befoee they kossed each other slowly. Breaking apart, they smiled at each other, before Ishaani spoke soflty.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Being you."

"Always." Ishaani smiled at him and quickly helped him rearrange the box back in order before Ranveer kept the box back in the cupboard along with the ring. Ishaani kept the book in the side table drawer, where she noticed a certain Hamlet copy that wasn't in her drawer till the afternoon.

Smiling at Ranveer as he saw that she'd noticed the book, he slid into bed while she did the same. Shutting off the lamps, they cuddled up to each other before both of them fell asleep the same way.

The Valentine fever had certainly begun to abate.

* * *

**Phew! Got this done at long last! :) :) No throwing anything over me for this.**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50: The Key to the Truth**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer entered the room the next day to see Ishaani sitting in the armchair, reading the book he had written to her. Smiling, he gently cleared him throat. Ishaani looked at him vibrantly, as he sat on the coffee table.

"Liking it so far?" Ishaani smiled, as she kept a bookmark within and shut the book.

"Yes, its extraordinary." Ranveer smiled and asked curiously.

"How far did you reach?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulder, giving the book a casual glance before she got up and kept it back into the drawer.

"30% of the book." Ranveer felt his jaw drop in surprise, before he regained his composure.

"That fast, huh?" Ishaani gave him a non-committal look as Ranveer got up, and came to sit right beside Ishaani, who now sat on the bed instead.

"I was curious to know. You know, I've read thousands of books in these three years, but this one beats it all. Its feels so... surreal. Reading about us like this."

"Yeah, it certainly is surreal." Both of them gave each other a look of mutual understanding, before Ishaani asked animatedly.

"Which reminds me, when would you get time to get this written?" Ranveer gave her a keen look.

"For the first two months, it was easy, given that we stayed at different places. Once you started staying with me, I had to be a little careful given that you popped up at the most bizarre times." Ishaani gave him a flustered look.

"My apologies for those." Ranveer jerked his head in acknowledgement.

"Accepted. But these past two months were the trickiest."

"Touche."

"But I managed it nonetheless." Ishaani smiler at him sweetly, before she gave him a curious look.

"I noticed something funny today." Ranveer frowned at her, his tone now taking on a bewildered note.

"What's that?"

"When I opened my bed side drawer in the morning and removed both your book as well as my copy of Hamlet, there was a minute where the wind swept in and sent the pages ruffling. It was when the pages settled back and co-incidentally stopped over the opening page of both the books did I realize. My copy of Hamlet says 'Ishaani Parekh', but the copy you gave me has it as 'Ishaani Vaghela'. This book that you've given me - its not just our story now, is it? Its also my journey from Ishaani Parekh to Ishaani Vaghela. Am I right or am I right?"

Ranveer gave her an impressed look.

"The latter." Ishaani grazed his cheeks slowly, before kissing him.

"You are too mysteriously attractive." Ranveer felt himself turn red, while Ishaani chuckled at his reaction.

"That's the fun in it. Speaking of fun, you have all the arrangements in order now, don't you?" Ishaani nodded her head solemnly, now taking on a authoritative tone.

"Yes. I've sent out the invites and got the decorations ready with the helpers. I've kept the gathering small enough, just like you wanted it." Ranveer nodded his head appreciatively.

"Good." Ishaani stared at Ranveer deeply for a few minutes before she asked hesitantly.

"I've noticed something." Ranveer looked puzzled.

"What's that?"

"You never keep any business parties here. You attend a lot of them, taking me along most of the time, but you never host them here. Why?" Ranveer smiled sheepishly before shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know... maybe, its the profile I've made about myself. Nobody knows me and my personal life. I'd prefer to keep it that way." Ishaani nodded her head in agreement, before she smiled.

"That's sensible enough, I guess."

* * *

That evening, the mansion took on its glorious avatar once again, the house sufficiently decorated to please the eyes, the view never becoming too loud. Ishaani sat in front of the mirror, struggling with the bows of her stunning red gown, when Ranveer entered the room, his eye instantly catching her breath-taking attire.

They smiled at each other through the reflection of the mirror and Ranveer walked up to her, leaving a small kiss on her cheek as she stood up. Ranveer couldn't help but admire the way the gown floated about her. Ranveer smiled as she blushed a little.

"Need some help?" Ishaani pulled her perfectly set-up hair to the side, tilting her head towards the untied strings of her gown.

"Just tie up the bows please. I'd have called Claudine, but she's feeding the kids." Ranveer nodded his head and slowly caught hold of the strings that needed to be tied up. Adjusting them through the loops properly, he spoke tentatively.

"So... are you ready?" Ishaani let out a sigh.

"I guess so. How is Martin doing?" Ranveer smiled, the question expected to him.

"Oh, he's fine." Ishaani nodded her head before she remembered something more important.

"Did he get the appointment letter?"

"Oh yes. Just came back from the office with that. He'll be starting work from tomorrow. The company he's working with luckily is with a multinational UK-based firm, so atleast the depressive markets won't be a major setback for his job." Ishaani nodded her head as she felt Ranveer tightly pull the bows around her dress, so that it stood perfectly. Ranveer gave her an apologetic look as she winced slightly.

"What about the accommodations?" Ranveer pulled the next set of bows carefully, replying absent-mindedly.

"Martin says that he's currently on a six-month probation period. Once he becomes a permanent employee, he'll receive the accommodation as well. It'll be a two-bedroom condo in Vouliagmeni."

"So atleast we have them over for the next six months. It's good enough."

"True." Both of them remained silent for a few minutes before Ranveer spoke slowly. "There is something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Seeing a crease of worry appear over his features, Ishaani spoke with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"It depends upon once I tell you." Ranveer knotted the bow together and Ishaani turned around. She cupped Ranveer's cheek lovingly, before speaking with an assurance in her voice.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll figure it out."

The evening progressed animatedly as Ranveer and Ishaani took rounds amongst the guests, making sure they were comfortable and were enjoying the party, while making sure to have Martin and Claudine well-introduced to the guests who were neither family nor friends of the two.

It was after considerable time passed on that Ranveer walked over the stage, a glass of champagne in his hand. He clinked his glass loud enough so that it caught the attention of all the guests.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Conversation ceased in the room as everyone turned their attention towards Ranveer. He smiled graciously, before speaking in a booming voice.

"I have three announcements to make. First, we all know that this party has been hosted in the honour of Martin and Claudine, who have recently become proud parents of twins." A round of applause flew about the entire room while Martin and Claudine were bombarded with new waves of good wishes for the kids. The crowd sobering after some time, Ranveer continued.

"Second, Martin has recently been hired as the Chief Economic Analyst at the Billiton Centre." Another huge round of applause went around the room like an electric wave, everyone pouring their well-wishes over Martin, while a few whistles accompanied the announcement. Martin could be seen let flustered, and both Ranveer and Ishaani chuckled over his harried yet pleased face. The excited chatter took some time to stop before Ranveer spoke again.

"And third, Ishaani and myself have been married for five years now," Conversation continued once again, this time much more abuzz, while Ranveer signaled Ishaani to come and join him. Ishaani walked over towards him, a coy smile on her face, while Ranveer held her hand in his own. He continued. "Circumstances forced us to separate three years ago, but fate has been kind with us now." The guests fell completely silent, waiting for the next part of the sentence. "The two of us will be getting married again soon enough."

A huge round of whooping went around the living room, most of it accompanied by catcalls and wolf-whistles. Ranveer and Ishaani were swarmed by most of the guests who were curious enough to know how it all happened, and it took both of them nearly half an hour before the guests sobered down.

"Now, now, we will certainly tell our story. But first, let us celebrate the three reasons as to why we have gathered over here today. Let's have some music!"

* * *

"The party was a sure hit." Ranveer looked at Ishaani, who looked exhausted as she finally crept her way up over the bed.

"Oh yeah. I'm glad it turned out well. Wanted the babies to have their little celebration. Even Martin actually seemed to have a good time." Ranveer nodded his head in agreement, while he slowly drained his mug of coffee.

"Yeah. And I'm glad that he has finally shed behind his past walked towards the future." Ranveer smiled in understanding.

"Funny, how a child can change so much." Ishaani gave him a distant look, some unknown memory cropping up in her mind.

"It's how parents are. They'll face hell themselves, but won't let anything touch their kids." Ishaani turned to look at Ranveer and smiled at him. However, her smile faltered away when she noticed his disturbed look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, actually." When Ishaani narrowed her eyes in his direction, Ranveer sighed. "You touched upon the matter upon what I wanted to talk to you about." Ishaani frowned at him, her tone hesitant.

"You want to talk about kids? Or rather, do you want to talk about us having a kid?" Ranveer felt a blush creep up his face before he spoke quickly.

"No, none of the two."

"Then what is it?" Ranveer gave her a pondering look before he spoke slowly.

"I want to talk about Mota Babuji. About what happened to him that night." Ishaani's pallor paled slightly and she looked at Ranveer fearfully.

"Ranveer, are you sure this is the right time for it?" Ranveer gave a decisive look, his gaze meeting her own in a new defiance.

"It cannot be any other time." Ishaani gave him an unsure look before she admitted ashamedly.

"It's just... I don't feel ready to know the truth." Ranveer held her hand in his own, rubbing it affectionately.

"You are ready." Ishaani looked at him puzzled.

"How can you say so?"

"You trusted me with the key." Ishaani's bewilderment was evident as she phrased her next question.

"And how does that relate to this?" Ranveer stroked her cheek and smiled lovingly.

"When you mentioned about the box and the past related to it, I was certain that it was only the day you would give me the key to the box only when you were ready to face it. And last night, you proved my theory. You walked beside me through our memories of the past and walked out of it unscathed. I know that you are ready. All you need to do is stand your ground." Ishaani's look of fear crept back over her features and Ranveer could feel that shiver in her tone.

"And what if I can't?"

"Then know that I'm standing right beside you. Trust me." Both of them stared at each other for a couple of minutes before Ishaani nodded her head vigorously.

"Alright." Ranveer kissed her hand, before asking gently.

"Okay. Now tell me, what do you want to know?" Ishaani gave the question a good thought before she spoke firmly.

"Everything."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, Ranveer spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. "The first thing that you must know is that Mota Babuji's death was an accident, it wasn't a murder." Ishaani sat still for a few minutes before she muttered a weak 'Oh'. Ranveer shut his eyes painfully.

"If you don't want me to continue-"

"No. As you said, I'm ready. Its about time I know the truth. The whole truth." Ranveer nodded his head, reassuring himself, and spoke strongly.

"Okay. As you know, it was Diwali night. Mota Babuji was working late in the office," Ishaani held up her hand slowly, an embarrassed look on her face.

"I don't mean to keep cutting you like that, but who called him to the office that night?" Ranveer sighed heavily before he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I did." Ishaank stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before she composed herself.

"_Why_?"

"Because Mota Babuji had told me to call him the time the shares of my company were listed in the IPO." Ishaani's eyebrows burrowed in confusion.

"I don't get it." Ranveer nodded his head and started his narrative from a new point.

"After I left the Parekh house, I started working as a assistor for shares and finance for a company. The share markets were getting into depression. Companies couldn't afford to invest into shares anymore so I lost my job. However, I wanted to start my own venture in the stock market, for which I needed finance. I had made several contacts in those three months who were ready to finance me but I still needed more funds. And then one day, I ran into Mota Babuji. We hadn't seen each other in those three months after he had bailed me out from jail. But somehow, once we got to talking, I came to know that he was facing losses due to the share company crisis. I told him about my idea. He was ready to buy the shares of my company. That night, I called him saying that the shares had been listed in the evening stock market. He called me over to his office. I went there, he gave me his blessings and I opened up the portal for him from where he had to buy the shares."

Ishaani looked at him frightfully, as though afraid the truth would scar her.

"What happened next?"

"I left. But from then on, what I know is a narrative." Ishaani nodded her head once again, before mouthing the next words slowly.

"Go on." Ranveer slcontinued cautiously, weighing his words carefully.

"After I left, as you know, some one else was with Mota Babuji. It was your father." Ishaani gave him a blank look before it turned into one of stricken horror. Ishaani barely managed to find her voice before it left her in a hoarse whisper.

"_What_?"

"Yes. Your father came to meet Mota Babuji that night." Ishaani looked aghast, her pallor now reaching grey.

"Why?"

"He wanted to talk about you." Ranveer could make out the slight contempt in her voice as she spoke reproachfully.

"After all these years..." Ranveer cut Ishaani hastily as the latter's sentence trailed off abruptly.

"Before conversation could happen properly, the electricity went off. Your father went to the circuit room to see for the switch board while Mota Babuji was arranging the wires. When your father switched on the circuits, Mota Babuji was arranging a live wire in his hand. You know what happened next. It was an accident." Ishaani shut her eyes as she felt a tear escape her eyes. She asked in a soft voice.

"All these years, his existence didn't matter because Papa was always my father. And he always will be. But him..." Ranveer sensed the line of argument that was coming his way and he spoke honestly.

"Mota Babuji asked me to reunite you and Falguni Ma with him as his dying wish." Ishaani looked at him silently and Ranveer continued, sighing deeply.

"Your father tried to revive him but he had lost consciousness. He rushed him to the hospital, where the doctors tried their best, but it didn't work. Mota Babuji lived longed enough for me to reach the hospital and to give me his dying wish. Your father was horrified with what had happened. He was ready to own up to the police, but it would lead to much more procedures and legal cases. I asked for a special autopsy. They told me that there was no sign of foul play and gave me evidence supporting it. It's why I requested the doctors to let him give you the ROD as cardiac arrest. Didn't want more trauma or any more investigations into something that would very well turn ugly unnecessarily. You, on the other hand found out the truth. And in a way, I was right. The truth did lead to a lot of mess."

Ishaani stared at him aghast before she gulped guiltily, truly understanding in essence her grave errors and her mistake in judgements.

"I'm sorry." Ranveer gave her a confused look as Ishaani refused to meet eyes with him.

"Why?"

"Because I screwed up this bad without knowing anything. Oh God, this is bad." Ranveer raised her chin up so that her teary eyes met his own tired ones.

"Ishaani, don't do it. Don't open wounds that are nearly non-existent now. Please." Ishaani looked like she was fighting a thousand battles within before she nodded with difficulty, her eyes brimmed up. Ranveer pulled her in for a hug, the two of them remaining in the same position for more than half an hour before Ishaani spoke.

"My father... do you know him?" Ranveer looked at her curiously, aware of the fact that the time had come.

"Yes. In fact, you know him very well too. I'd say even better than me." Ishaani couldn't help but keep the shock out of her voice as she questioned him disbelievingly.

"We've met before?" Ranveer gave her an intent look.

"Yes. Several times. Curiously enough, he has been your knight in a shining armour in the time you needed a loved one most." Something clicked in Ishaani's mind as she asked him fearfully.

"Who is he?" Ranveer shut his eyes in a silent prayer as he finally spoke out the name.

"Nitin Joshi.

* * *

**Weeee! :D I finally completed my first Golden Jubilee and I'm thrilled! :D :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51: Love Me Like You Do**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani stared at him in stunned disbelief. She couldn't believe what she had just heard but somewhere deep down in her heart, she knew that she knew it all along. She always knew that she shared a conmection with Nitin, something much closer than it should have been, but she knew it now. She couldn't understand what she should have been feeling in that moment, but she knew that she felt hollow. Devoid of any emotion except for the fact that her world had gone dark, her demons suddenly overcoming her senses.

Her world suddenly erupted into a fit of darkness, where Ishaani no longer knew what to do next. Any step she decided to take seemed to drift her across several miles behind, yet she stood stationary, letting the moment flow by. She had never felt more afraid as in that moment, her breath getting choked out of herself in suffocation, as she felt her demons create a strong wall around her, drowning any hope that light would ever break through.

As though her mental agony was brought out in the light, Ishaani felt a zap of current course through her veins that dissipated the darkness and threw a cold splash of reality against her face. She looked at Ranveer, who gave her a penetrating look and she blinked at him dumbly. She looked below to see his hand over hers, instantly understanding the source of the sensation of being shocked.

She looked up again to find Ranveer staring at her seriously, some unknown emotion in his eyes that someone made her heart fall cold. She had only ever seen that look in his eyes once when the two of them had come face to face at Martha's party after their estrangement, and the memory of it wasn't what she fancied.

Ranveer kept his hand over her own continuously, and Ishaani suspected that it was the only thing tethering her to reality - the warm touch of his skin against her own. Ranveer let some time pass by before he spoke softly.

"Don't do it. _Please_." Ishaani stared at him bewildered, at a loss as to what Ranveer meant to tell her before he spoke passionately. "I can read you. You just let your demons loose. Lock them up before they engulf you whole."

Ishaani nodded her head weakly before the room fell silent again. Ishaani distantly fell Ranveer pull her into his arms as she shut her eyes, ready to fight a battle that she very well knew that she would lose. Somehow, Ranveer's warm embrace kept her tethered to reality at the same time, her heart constantly reminded her that his warmth was still enveloping her.

Ishaani finally snapped her eyes open, surprised at the change in the ambience of the room. Ishaani could make out that dawn would break out at any moment. Yet her mind pushed aside that information, for it was now involved in developing her senses.

Ishaani could still feel Ranveer's arms around her, his breathing even. She slowly writhed her way out of his embrace, that made his arms jerk in surprise, both of their gazes meeting in the process. Ishaani noticed that Ranveer had been waiting for her to speak all that time, making sure that she had his shoulder weighing her demons as well.

She looked up drowsily and sighed, as he placed a small kiss on her temple. She spoke absent-mindedly.

"You know, as a child, when Maa told me why he left us, I hated it. _Him_. For me, he never existed because I had Papa with me. I never felt the need to know about my other father. He raised me as his own, nurtured me with his values, always treated me the best and above all the other children of the family. It was only when he... passed away that I realised what I had lost. What he had sheltered me from. I was lost, broken. I'd lost you and then him. I forgot what it was to be independent because all these years, I had been thriving over the love the two of you gave me. By the time you came back into my life, it was too late. I'd lost my innocence and was thrown into a world which I was not ready for. Somehow, you gave me a newfound strength to pull on. To live life, rather than simply survive. But then when I was made to believe that you you were the reason my father was no more, I was mad with rage. I couldn't understand how you dared to take my father away from me. We both know what happened next."

"If you are talking about that night," Ranveer looked at her helplessly, but Ishaani continued in the same dazed tone, that somehow seemed to frighten Ranveer more than anything else.

"No, not that night. The previous one. The one where I told you that I hated you." The reaction was spontaneous over Ranveer's face as he flinched in pain, as though suddenly burned. Ishaani sighed painfully and continued.

"I broke the base of our relationship that night. Trust, friendship, communication, love... everything. I should have known you better, I should have trusted you better, I should have known that if you were keeping the truth away from me, there would be a good reason. But I didn't. I sought to believe my mind over my heart. And I screwed up big time." Ranveer now looked abashed, the facts of the night painful enough for him to revisit.

"Ishaani, you don't have to-" Ishaani cut him like she didn't hear him.

"Even though I crushed your heart and lost your trust, you gave me the closest thing to a father that I could have at that time. Nitin Uncle and I formed a close bond in the time and I came to consider him as my father-figure. Funny, how ironical it was." Ranveer shook his head in panic, as he realized that Ishaani was taking it as bad as he was expecting her too. He strengthened his hold over her hand and Ishaani's eyes glazed, the blank look leaving it. Ranveer mentally heaved a sigh of relief before he spoke hoarsely.

"Ishaani, I never meant to keep the truth away from you," Ishaani shook her head, a tear now escaping her eye.

"I know, but it was there nonetheless. I would always wonder why Nitin Uncle had much more access to our house than all your other associates, who you always treated as professional acquaintances, nothing more. I should have known... I should have known that there was more to what I could see." Ranveer felt something break within him as he saw Ishaani's distress dance in her eyes with a manic and reckless glint.

"Ishaani, look at me. _Please_." Ishaani turned a pair of teary eyes in his direction and spoke slowly.

"Papa made you promise him, didn't he? He wanted you to make sure that Maa and me forgave him." Ranveer nodded his head slowly, glad that Ishaani saw things from his point now, unlike the last time when tragedy struck them. He saw Ishaani's lips quivering for words she was no longer capable to derive before he pulled her chin up, her eyes meeting his own again.

"The main question now is not what happened in the past. It's what's to happen now." Ishaani's teary-look faltered to be replaced with that of a puzzled one.

"What do you mean?" Ranveer braced himself for what arenas his question was about to open, taking the plunge swiftly.

"Will you be able to forgive him and accept him in your life?" Ishaani stared at him silently for an infinitesimal amount of time before she answered blankly.

"I don't know."

Ranveer nodded at her solemnly as the dawn's first rays broke through the room, illuminating the glittering frame with the quote. The flash caught the attention of both and they looked at each other, sighing tiredly. Ishaani slowly laid her head over Ranveer's lap and shut her eyes, letting the light in the room wash over the darkness clouded in her mind. Ranveer stroked her hair gently, whispering soothing words to her and she curled up closer to him, her fists catching the material of his sweatshirt in a frenzied grip. Ranveer kissed her head gently, before Ishaani asked him drowsily.

"Why is life this harsh with the two of us? Why can't time and fate ever let our wounds heal?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders simply, his mind still running over the new facts they'd discovered about each other.

"It's because some wounds don't need time and fate to heal them. All they need is a reason to get healed, so that it can learn to live, rather than simply survive." Ishaani looked up at him and gave him a tired look, while Ranveer smiled sheepishly.

"Oh shut up." Ranveer smiled at her sadly, as she snuggled closer to him.

"I'm glad that it helped." Ishaani shut her eyes once again and felt herself drift into another world altogether, Ranveer following her almost instantly.

* * *

The next few days passed without any event. The house now grew silent, as Martin would leave early in the morning along with Ranveer and Ishaani and would only return back at 7 in the evening. Ishaani and Ranveer barely got time with each other as their schedules had begun getting the better of them, both of them only getting sufficient time to spend with the kids.

Claudine had now overtaken Martin's duties at home, taking the fullest of her maternity leave and making sure to manage the house's responsibilities single-handedly. Ranveer and Ishaani were more than grateful for the help they had been getting and made sure to atleast pay her back by giving the kids their fullest.

But apart from their schedules, Ranveer knew that Ishaani had found a newfound distraction in her work that was steadily helping her overcome the shock of what she had discovered about her father. Ranveer was happy that she was not angry with him and that she was in fact thankful and proud of his that he had the guts to tell her the truth.

But then again, he knew that even though Ishaani kept reassuring him that she was on terms with everything she had found out, the fact remained that she was using her work as a distraction to reel in everything. Ranveer kept silent, afraid to bring up anything with her that would put her off, but he knew that he would have to intervene soon enough.

However, it was during the last day of February when Ishaani woke up suddenly in the middle of the night in cold sweats when Ranveer finally decided that he would have to finally put his foot down, before history could repeat itself in an ugly recurrence.

The dawn of the February morning was warm and was the first one that marked the arrival of the upcoming, blooming March. Both of them were having a quick breakfast, when Ranveer decided to bring up the point.

"Sunny, I need to talk to you." Ishaani wiped her mouth over the napkin piece and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"What about?" Ranveer drained his glass of juice and spoke swiftly.

"What I told you two weeks ago." Ishaani stared at him silently before she sighed.

"Can it wait till evening? I have an urgent meeting with the Board today." Ranveer studied her features closely before he got the message. Rubbing his temple ruefully, he spoke grudgingly.

"Alright, but I need to talk with you in the evening. Period." Ishaani looked at him unsure, but she nodded her head nonetheless.

Evening quickly turned into night, and Ranveer entered home late, cursing his luck at the sudden notice that had come from the Government stating about the temporary change in the economic policies due to the countries steadily depleting markets. Ranveer made his way straight to his room, sure that he had lost the chance of have conversation with Ishaani when he swung open the door and stood surprised.

Ishaani stood in front of the mirror, wearing a navy blue taffeta dress that came up to her knees. She was tying up the bow behind her dress when he saw Ranveer staring at her. She smiled at him as he entered, his mind dazed with her attire's effect on her, his tiredness and irritation seeping away instantly. She walked up to him and kissed him lovingly, as he pulled her into his arms, his mind evaporating into another world altogether.

Separating reluctantly, Ranveer leaned his head against Ishaani's own, before the latter spoke softly.

"Had a rough day?" Ranveer shook his head in a disgruntled manner, and Ishaani clicked her tongue sympathetically.

"Don't ask. How was your meeting with the Board?" Ishaani smiled gently, something she had done for the first time in that fortnight. Ranveer smiled in return, her own smile infecting his distressed mind within seconds.

"Oh it was good. They wanted me to represent Neapolitan City in the Spring Book Fair Camp that'll be hosted in April." Ranveer gave her a broad smile as he could see how it had made her happy.

"That's great!" Ishaani looked at him suggestively and then at her dress. He gave her an impressed look before frowning slightly. "But what's with the dress?" Ishaani smiled coyly.

"Oh, I was just trying it out. I bought it for the Fair." Ranveer nodded his head happily while Ishaani glowed in the halter neck made her arms stand out milky - white in the dim glow of the lamplights.

"It looked beautiful." Ishaani blushed freely and hugged him suddenly. Ranveer was momentarily taken aback before he enveloped her whole, taking in the scent of the strawberry essence of her hair.

"I'm glad you liked it." Both of them stood satiated in each other's arms before Ranveer spoke softly.

"How come you are still awake? It's almost 11:30." Ishaani sighed slowly before she purred drowsily.

"I was waiting for you." Ranveer slowly broke the hug and gave Ishaani a bewildered look.

"Why?"

"Because you said you wanted to talk to me." Ranveer stared at her queasily for a moment, before he spoke tiredly.

"Sunny, what has going on with you?" Ishaani looked at him guiltily, averting her eyes away from his own for the first time that evening.

"Ranveer, trust me, I'm alright."

"Is that why you were sobbing in your sleep in the night?" Ishaani remained silent for a few minutes before she spoke softly.

"It's complicated."

"Then give it a shot." Ishaani gave him an obstinate look but Ranveer only gave her a pleading look. She sighed in resignation before speaking sadly.

"I want to leave this behind me. Both of us have given up our pasts so that we can live in the present. Somehow, I find myself incapable of doing that in this case."

"Why?" Ishaani gave him a haughty look.

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Ishaani, tell me the truth. What's going on?" Ishaani gave him an uncomfortable look and Ranveer smiled, knowing that he had finally hit the right spot.

"What do you mean?" Ranveer gave her a shrewd look before speaking finally.

"This is not entirely about your father. If you were cross that I had kept the truth away from you for all this time, you would have not been speaking to me. And somewhere along, this isn't even about him. Because from what I've been able to surmise, deep down, you'd made the connection long ago. All you needed was for the veil to fall. You are upset, yes, but it's not the entire cause of the misery you have been in these days, try as much as you to hide it from me. All I can think about is that it's something got to do with us. Or rather, about the dynamics of our relationship back then."

Ishaani gave him a guilty look before she spoke softly.

"I broke the first aid rule." Ranveer shook her head and corrected her statement.

"You re-opened a wound that did not exist. That's why you are this conflicted." Ishaani let her fingers run through her hair, while she shut her eyes in despair.

"What am I going to do? I feel lost... disconnected. Its as though I can see my life getting wasted in front of me, yet I'm not ready to let go of something that doesn't even exist. I think I'll go mad if this continues." Ishaani opened her eyes and saw Ranveer staring at her painfully, his voice now restricted to a whisper.

"If you feel like that, then give me your pain, your demons." Ishaani shook her head vehemently, a look of terrified fear on her face.

"I cannot do that."

"Why?"

"You have your own share of demons waiting to engulf you... I will not have it on my conscious to let you take over my own ones as well." Ranveer's eyes widened in shock as Ishaani gave him a scrutinizing look. He gave her a hesitant shrug before speaking with a newfound yearning.

"Then let me heal you." Ishaani looked at Ranveer guiltily before she shook her head.

"Why do you love me so much?" Ranveer look surprised.

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Ranveer..."

"Alright. Its because you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You were the best gift God could ever give me." Ishaani gave him a disapproving look and Ranveer smiled at him sheepishly.

"You let me get away with too much."

"Maybe, that's because you are worth it."

Ishaani slowly pulled Ranveer's face close to her own, so that their lips met in a secure touch once again. They felt a strange comfort as their lips moved in sync, as they felt their minds fading away into the oblivion of love, the demons suddenly vanquished. Both of them smiled against each other's lips as his hand made it's way to her bare back, the ribbon of her bow in his hand.

Parting away once again, Ishaani looked at him sweetly, biting her lip.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"If you love your gift so much, would you mind unwrapping it?" Ranveer couldn't help but laugh as Ishaani turned her back at him. He pulled out the ribbons of the bow, before he spoke tantalizingly.

"With pleasure."

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done finally!. :D :D Sorry for the late update though, life had been hectic these days. :( :(**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52: Till Death Do Us Apart**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Martha walked about the library impatiently when Ishaani entered, looking highly flustered and harried. Martha gave her a disapproving look, while Ishaani quickly straightened out her dress, giving the former an apologetic look.

"Honey, what-"

"Martha, I'm so sorry!" Martin shook her head firmly and gave her a scrutinizing look.

"Sweetie, it's 10 am. Would you care explaining why you are this late?" Ishaani gave her an embarrassed look before she stuttered.

"I... we... I mean, I..." Martha clicked her tongue in disapproval, while Ishaani bent her head low. However, Martha couldn't help but let a smile twitch of her lips indicate a give-away.

"Hmmm... so do I take it that you've overcome your predicament?" Ishaani looked at Martha awkwardly before nodding her head ashamedly.

"Yes." Martha gave her a smile before speaking admiringly.

"Ranveer is a master, I must say." Ishaani blushed furiously while Martha smirked. "Well, you are such an introspective person. It takes talent to break through that stiff brain and façade of yours." Ishaani rolled her eyes in Martha's direction as the two of them walked towards the desk.

"Must you exaggerate it this much?"

"It's true, you know." Martha took a seat at the desk while Ishaani quickly ran through the records of the day. After some time, Ishaani spoke softly.

"I'm really, really sorry that I'm late. It won't happen next time." Martha gave her a keen look before giving her an acknowledging nod.

"Good. Now just call Sebastian and ask him about the copies of _The Kite Runner_ that were supposed to arrive yesterday. I've already had a reader asking me about it today." Ishaani nodded her head swiftly and Martha handed over a list in her hand.

"Alright, I'll get back to him."

* * *

Ishaani returned home at 4 in the evening, shivering thoroughly. Claudine had just left the kitchen, wiping her forehead swiftly when she saw Ishaani's shaky silhouette. She swiftly rushed over to Ishaani as she saw the latter collapsing over the sofa, muttering something inaudible.

"Ishaani? Ishaani!" When Ishaani didn't make to respond anything except for stare wide-eyed at her, Claudine bit her lip in worry. Quickly making up her mind, she yelled out in the direction of the study room. "Ranveer! Martin!" Within the next minute, both of them rushed out into the hall to see Claudine giving some instructions to one another helper, while Ishaani sat dumbstruck on the couch.

Ranveer quickly rushed to sit over the sofa and pulled Ishaani into his arms, rubbing her back in fast circles. Martin and Claudine shared a look of common understanding before he left the hall slowly. Ranveer separated himself from the hug and took Ishaani's hands in his own, only to realize that they were icy cold. He cupped Ishaani's cheek and looked into her eyes soulfully, his tone worried.

"Honey, what happened? What's wrong?" Ishaani felt tears escape her eyes and Ranveer felt afraid. "Sunny, I cannot help you unless you tell me what's wrong." Martin returned back to the hall with a glass of brandy in his hand. He handed over the glass of brandy to Ranveer, who made Ishaani drink a sip of it swiftly. The brandy seemed to have done its work, for after a couple of moments, Ishaani clutched at Ranveer's shirt tightly, her eyes boring into his own panic-stricken ones.

"Sebastien." Ranveer looked at her confused, her reply completely unexpected.

"_Sebastien_? You mean, the library's supplier Sebastien?" Ishaani nodded her head, speaking hoarsely.

"Yes." Ranveer gave her a bewildered look, still oblivious to where the conversation was going.

"What about him?"

"He's no more." Ranveer felt a cry of shock escape his lips and more tears flowed out from Ishaani's eyes. Ranveer looked at Ishaani with a newfound comprehension dawning over him, understanding what had got her in such a state. "Didn't he get married to Carla two months ago?"

"Yes... yes! Do you see it, Ranveer? _Do you see it?_ They loved each other so much! Carla has a child on the way! But death did them apart, Ranveer, death did them_ apart_!" Ishaani's grip over Ranveer's shirt slackened as the two of them shared a glance that spoke a thousand words of worry, fear and uncertainty.

Ishaani blinked her eyes a couple of times as she found her vision blurring steadily. Ranveer stared at her frozen for a couple of moments before she passed out in his arms. Ranveer pulled her into his arms once again as he felt a tear leave his eye, before he lifted her up bridal-style. He slowly carried her over to his room and laid her on the bed, covering her up swiftly.

Claudine and Martin entered the room as Ranveer now sat beside Ishaani, stroking her hair softly. Both of them silently took their seats on the coffee table before Ranveer spoke softly.

"What did you give her?" Claudine sighed and spoke regretfully.

"Brotine-Zero. She wasn't receiving to the shock well." Ramveer shook his head sadly and sighed.

"How long till she wakes up?"

"It'll be after 12-14 hours. She'll have a slight headache and a bit of disorientation as well, but it will do." Ranveer nodded his head and he sighed.

"Can I get a bit of that too?" Claudine gave him an outrageous look before shaking her head reprochfully.

"Don't be absurd. You are perfectly alright."

"Am I?" Both of them shared a look of mutual understanding and Claudine spoke wisely.

"That depends upon how you take it."

"I'm tired, Claudine. And I was fearing this particular day. And it's here." Claudine sighed, afraid that the day had come finally and that would mean more agony for the two people she loved the most.

"Just because death was there the last time, it doesn't mean that it should be there this time as well."

"I don't know, Claudine. Its much less about that and much more about the reason behind why it kills her the way it does."

"Ranveer, Ishaani has worn out her ability to bearing any shock that relates to the two of you. Martin mentioned this point when you were hospitalized as well. Those four days have claimed her sense of security. And things around her make her paranoid. Especially death. You know as well as I do that she hasn't been able to overcome her fear of death. It's why she reacts the way she does."

Ranveer looked at himself reprochfully while Martin and Claudine shared a look of concern, experiences from the past coming to them uncannily.

"I hate that fact that I'm the cause of her misery."

"Ranveer, I really don't like preaching our own advice back to you. So please, don't do it. You know that your own fears are on the verge of cracking, ever since you told her the truth. So don't do it, please."

Ranveer looked at Claudine absent-mindedly and nodded. He was about to speak when they heard the sound of both the babies crying. Claudine shook her head and quickly rushed to the other room, while Martin looked at Ranveer sadly.

"What's on your mind, Martin? You've been strangely quiet all this time."

"I don't know what to say, _monsieur. _Except that I'm afraid." Ranveer frowned at him, as Martin's cornflower gaze penetrated through his own brown ones.

"About what?"

"The two of you have conquered almost all your fears. All of them but one. I don't know why, _monsieur_, but I can feel the clouds gathering again." Ranveer spoke absent-mindedly.

"I think it's what has been distressing her as well. I've noticed that she has become a little restless once again ever since I told her the truth about her father. The nightmares have returned, and she has been posing a poise that she doesn't even remotely feel."

"_Monsieur_, the two of you have fought through a lot. Your love has fought against destiny. All the two of you need to have is trust over your love. It will sail you through." Ranveer smiled at Martin ruefully and the latter knew that he was fighting a losing battle.

"It's not that easy, Martin. It never is."

* * *

Ishaani opened her eyes slowly, her mind eerily calm. The newfound peace of mind felt strange to her, as though she was blocking out on something big, something that needed to return to her soon enough. But she was happy to feel devoid of worry.

_Worry_.

Yes, that's what it was. The memories and emotions came back to her automatically, filling her up whole, until she felt suffocated and nearly drowned in them. She tried to breathe but her breath was restricted, until she felt her eyes snap open. Ranveer sat beside her, staring at her sleeping form with his own share of worry on his face before he noticed that she was awake.

He smiled at her and she smiled back, still at a loss as to why she was asleep. The last thing that she remembered was... she tried to rack her mind but it wouldn't occur to her. Somehow, instinct told her that it'd occur to her eventually and she shut her eyes, letting the deep silence of the room calm her. She snapped her eyes open and saw Ranveer staring at her eerily, his eyes having a strange look.

Something about the way he stared at her frightened her eerily, and she quickly swung herself up, mentally cursing herself at the speed with which she hoisted herself up that had caused her to blackout for a moment. She caught on to something solid and opened her eyes after she felt strong enough, and realized that it was Ranveer's arms.

He stared at her in agony, his eyes haunted. She cupped his face in her palms, letting him sink within them, before he broke. Ishaani sat stunned, as she felt warm tears fall swiftly over hands, and she pulled his face up. Both of them stared at each other for a moment before Ranveer fell into her arms, his head slumped over her shoulder.

Ishaani caught him protectively in her embrace as she felt her basin of worries and fears emptying itself, replaced with an urgency to absorb Ranveer's own ones. The events of the day came back to her as she rubbed circles over his back, whispering soothing words and love and trust to him. She didn't know what pushed him to the level to crack, but she knew that she had to be there for him. She couldn't let him burn through the fire that she had burned through, and she would make sure to steer him away from it.

She did not know for how long he remained motionless in her arms, before a panic began stirring up in her chest. She gently separated him from herself and noticed that his figure had gone limp in her arms. She quickly lied him down on the bed, and rubbed his palms swiftly, slapping his face at the same time.

Ranveer stirred slowly after a few minutes, his breathing shallow. Ishaani quickly took the intercom in her hand and made to dial when Ranveer caught hold of her wrist.

"Don't."

"Ranveer, you are not well."

"You weren't doing that well either." Ishaani frowned at him before she touched his forehead slowly, tracing her fingers along its width.

"I'm sorrt for scaring you the way I did. I was unreasonable." Ranveer remained silent for a few minutes, his eyes constantly drooping and then opening alertly. Ishaani tried to make a call several times, but in vain. Ranveer's grip on her wrist was strong enough to keep her intact. After some time, he spoke hoarsely.

"Do you know how it feels... to die?" Ishaani gave him a frightened look, as though the flame of his question had burned her. She shook her head slowly, her eyes wide, a strange instinct taking over her her senses, enhancing them and warping them enough to make them sharper.

"No. But how does it feel to die?"

"Its... warm. Its like you are being taken away from a life full of sufferings into something much better, much homelier. Its a momentary switch, you know, your world is filled with pain in the moment and all of a sudden, you feel a pair of warm arms encircle you, as though you are their progeny. You are pulled out of misery, to be taken to a better place, a satiation filling you up like you have never felt before. That's what it feels like." Ishaani looked at him curiously as the question slipped from her lips even before she was aware of it.

"And how did it feel like to get shot?" Ranveer's trance broke and he now looked at her aghast.

"Ishaani, don't open wounds for me again."

"I'm not opening a wound. I'm only bringing out a wound that as conveniently pushed aside to accommodate my wounds. Its about time that you healed this wound for good."

"It's a curious sensation. At first, it's just like a prick - the pain isn't evident; it's as though nothing happened to you in that moment. But the next moment, its as though you are swarmed by pain. Its hurts more and more as the blood leaves your body, excruciating pain such like you have never known. You are numb, disoriented, aware in that fraction of a second about what has happened to you and about the person who is standing opposite to you before you start drowning. Drowning in the ocean of pain that has no shore. The pain pulls on to eternity, yet its just an infinitesimal amount of time. Your world dissolves into a one of darkness, where all you can do is beg for the pain to stop, before relief washes over you and you are pulled away to oblivion. But in those moments, all you can think and feel is pain. Pain that makes you bleed and that overwhelmes you to the extent where thoughts are obliterated. Your mental and emotional agonies are fused with you physical ones so that the three of them are strong enough to knock the breath out of you whole. It's ugly, the most brutal way to die..."

Ishaani looked at Ranveer painfully, her hand holding his own in a firm grip, while tears openly escaped her eyes. She shook her head, staring at him ruefully as he looked spent.

"You shouldn't have done it."

"What do you mean?"

"All these months, you were so involved in healing me that you left your major wounds untended to."

"Ishaani, your need was greater than mine."

"Wrong. The only time you showed me your weakness was the time you had your anxiety attack. That night when you kept saying that 'you died', you weren't telling me that, were you? You were telling that to yourself... you were telling it to the Ranveer that was suppressed underneath your cold and indifferent attitude. It was the same Ranveer who was shot that night, before you gave me another Ranveer altogether till we got separated. I'm right, ain't I?" Ranveer stared at her aghast and he shook his head vehemently.

"No... you don't understand..."

"That's the problem, Ranveer. I do."

"Ishaani, let it go. Don't stick on to it..."

"How can I let it go?! You are a fool! Do you think I don't know the sacrifice you gave by revealing the truth to me?! Do you think I don't know what demons you have been facing since the past 15 days?! Do you think I'm oblivious to the fact that you needn't have told me the truth, but you did nonetheless, and burned yourself through and through trying to protect me?! Huh? Don't stare at me like that! I want an answer, Mr. Vaghela!" Ranveer felt the tears escape his eyes openly as Ishaani looked at him teary-eyed. He turned his face away from her in shame, abashed by the fact that Ishaani had seen through his strong façade and that seen the maimed and frightened Ranveer hiding beneath it.

"You deserved to know the truth."

"Not at the cost of rubbing salt over your already brutal wound. This was one wound that was an exception to you first aid rules, and the only one that could be healed by acceptance. You claimed that i was ready was it, but the fact remains that you weren't ready. Its why this got toyou so bad. You accepted all the events of the night except for the one where you died. We both have problem accepting the same incident. We both refused to acknowledge it at different points of times. We both faced it together at two points of life, both of which we were ambushed by. It was uncalled and entered our lives like a storm, one from which we could not walk away unscathed. If I am to be honest with you, we both have problem accepting death. The only difference between us that where death has taken your fancy, it has become my greatest nightmare."

"I never realized that you knew so much."

"Then I think you have underestimated my abilities. You forget that if you can read me like a book, I can read you just the same. We have each other's hearts, remember? So, you've been spilling your secrets to me." Ranveer smiled at her lovingly, feeling light-headed suddenly.

"And you ask me why I love you so much." Ishaani smiled sweetly and both of them stared at each other for several minutes as the rays of dawn broke out into the room. Ishaani kissed his nose and spoke softly.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Telling me the truth. You knew that you would be bringing to light the biggest wound that your heart holds, something that could very well maim you but you took the risk for me nonetheless. You knew that you were going to come across the most painful moments of your life by telling me about Papa but you did it." Ranveer looked at her drowsily before Ishaani looked at him defiantly. "Promise me something, will you?"

"Anything."

"Never burn yourself to save me again, do you get it?" Ranveer smiled at her coyly before Ishaani slept over his chest. Both of them smiled at each other before Ranveer kissed her forehead.

"Till death do us apart." Ishaani shut her eyes and whispered slowly, before both of them fell asleep

"Till death re-unite us again."

* * *

**Phew! Finally got it done! :D :D **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53: Conflicting Souls**

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D**

* * *

Ishaani opened her eyes swiftly as the sunlight fell over her face, sleep now nearly impossible to reclaim again. She raised her head slowly, her eyes instantly falling over Ranveer's tired yet blissfully calm features. She smiled and looked at the clock beside her. 6:30AM. She was surprised that it had only been an hour since she fell asleep again, when she felt like it had been an eternity.

She separated herself from Ranveer's strong embrace and got ready, making sure not to disturb him in the process. She quickly wrote a note and left it on the bedside table, following which she called Ranveer's secretary to inform her that he won't be coming in for the day. Ishaani redirected her next call to Martha, describing the situation as briefly as she could and informed her that she would reach the library at 9 and rescheduled her meeting with the Board for 11.

Sighing to herself as Ranveer's pale features glowed luminously in the glorious sunlight, she headed towards the kitchen. Cooking him up a breakfast of a French Omelet and a few slices of toast along with a mug of steaming hot coffee, she asked the helper to serve it to Ranveer when he woke up. She quickly rushed back to the room once again to grab her purse and left a lingering kiss over Ranveer's forehead. She quickly shut the curtains of the room so that Ranveer's sleep remained uninterrupted and she shut the door silently behind her.

Ishaani quickly grabbed her overcoat and made to leave the house when she heardsomeone call her from behind. Turning around, she saw Martin walking hurriedly towards her, his tie askew.

"Madame! I was hoping to see you before you left." Ishaani looked at him confused.

"How come you are still at home?"

"I have a meeting scheduled for 11. My boss told me to arrive straight for it." Ishaani nodded her head in acknowledgement and Martin took the time to rearrange his time properly.

"Is that why you were back home early yesterday?"

"Yes." Martin gave Ishaani a guilty look before speaking to his shoes. "My most sincere apologies, madame."

"For what, Martin?"

"For giving you Brotine-Zero yesterday." Ishaani smiled understandingly and Martin gave her a frightened look.

"It's alright. Besides, I guess it did do more good than harm." Ranveer looked at Ishaani slowly and smiled hesitantly. When Ishaani gave him a tired smile, he studied her face more closely before speaking curiously.

"How is _monsieur_ doing?"

"He is alright now. But he was in a bad shape a few hours back. For a moment there I was afraid that he was having another anxiety attack." Martin nodded his head slowly before speaking shrewdly.

"Madame, you must not take responsibility on your head." Ishaani looked at him tearfully and Martin walked up to her, before slowly giving her a hug. Ishaani hugged him back, speech leaving her before she was aware about it.

"All this time, I knew you were there for him, to hold him when he was vulnerable, to understand him when he refused to let anyone within those boundaries. But now that you are not going to be around after the next couple of months, I don't know what I'm going to do. Our voice of reason is leaving us. I don't know what to do, Martin. I'm at a loss." Martin awkwardly separated himself from her embrace and saw Ishaani's face stained with tears. He wiped them away and smiled sadly.

"The transition isn't easy for me too, madame. But this is how life is. Besides, you are a strong woman. You have nothing to fear. Remember, you were the pillar of support when we had all given up on monsieur's life. You gave us hope and you taught us all to be better warriors. What happened last night was simply monsieur's will to fight that fell weak. You must remain strong, madame. Remain strong and see how monsieur is blown away with it. Monsieur ensured that you were there to hold him when he fell and here you are. All you need to do is be there for him, madame. Trust monsieur to do the math."

Both of them chuckled slowly before Ishaani spoke softly.

"Yes, I'm sure he must have done the math. It's just like him." Martin and Ishaani smiled at each other before the former kissed the latter's hand.

"You love monsieur more than anything else in this world now, don't you?"

"More than he realizes."

* * *

Ishaani returned back home at 6 in the evening to find Ranveer in the room, looking at the box curiously. She knocked the door softly that got Ranveer's attention. He looked up towards her and his face broke out into a broad smile and Ishaani could have sworn that the day could not have been brighter. She walked inside and smiled at him while he patted the bed as a signal. Ishaani sat down and ruffled his hair and he shut his eyes at the touch her hand.

"How was your day?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders with disinterest.

"Boring. How about yours?"

"The same. The Fair got pushed into May. The Board says that there is a monetary crisis because of which the Fair has been pushed to the next month." Ranveer clicked his tongue and shook his head resentfully.

"Oh. One relief for you temporarily. But the crisis in the whole of Greece is pretty bad. The rents are skyrocket high and the bailouts aren't working out at all. If nothing works out soon enough, there is going to be some ugly consequences. I've already called over three unscheduled meetings with the BODs this week alone." Ishaani smiled to herself slowly and she could not understand why she was doing so.

"So, our mental traumas are not the only things bad going on." Ranveer stared at her intently before asking curiously.

"How are you doing?" Ishaani contemplated the question deeply before replying slowly.

"Alright, I guess. What about you?" Ranveer gave her a mechanical look before speaking theatrically.

"Never better." Both of them smiled before Ishaani spoke lightly.

"You look good enough to me. So, did you eat your breakfast and lunch?"

"Yes, Sunny. I think I told you that twice over the phone." Ishaani shook her head and flicks of her hair fell over her face. She smiled shyly, her voice throaty.

"My bad." Ranveer pulled aside the hair obstructing her face from his vision, before remembering about the incidents of the previous day.

"How is Carla doing?"

"Still reeling from the shock. They have his funeral tomorrow." Ranveer nodded his head uncomfortably and Ishaani spoke softly. "It's a small service only for family members. I've paid my respects already on your behalf as well. So we need not have to go tomorrow." Ranveer looked at her appreciatively. He titled his head slightly, wondering whether to put forth his question or no, before he decided in favour of it.

"How did he die?"

"Road accident." Ranveer shut his eyes momentarily before making up his mind.

"Can I ask you something?" Ishaani looked at him keenly before nodding her head.

"Go ahead."

"What happened to you yesterday? "

"I think you know the answer. It was a very uncanny scenario. I panicked." Ranveer could hear the tone of justification in her voice and smiled.

"I'm not being judgmental." Ishaani relaxed back considerably as she saw the understanding in Ranveer's eyes. She continued.

"Good, because what you did yourself wasn't too bright." Ranveer averted his gaze away from her face and chose to stare at the ring on his finger instead.

"You weren't meant to figure out this much."

"I thought you knew what you were doing when you gave me your heart." Ranveer looked at Ishaani and saw her giving him a smart look. He shook his head like a child not used to being held wrong and spoke insistently.

"I'm not used to being the one who is pacified."

"We all need someone to save us at some point of time. You have been our hero and have rescued us from several situations. Isn't it about time someone rescued you as well? After all, every hero needs to be saved every once in a while." Ranveer looked upwards to see Ishaani's eyes brimming with love for him and he felt a smile break out.

"Touche, ma cherie." Ishaani laughed at Ranveer shamelessly while the latter looked at her sheepishly before he joined her in her bout of laughing. Sobering down after some time, Ishaani looked curiously at the box.

"What are you doing with this?"

"There is something funny with the box." Ishaani's brows contracted with confusion, her tone evident of the same.

"What do you mean?"

"I was removing something from the drawer when the box almost toppled. It clinked. I removed the box and emptied the contents yet it keeps clinking." Ranveer shook the box as an example and the box clinked. Ishaani smiled mysteriously and Ranveer looked at her suspiciously.

"I'm glad you found it out. I was almost certain that you wouldn't find it."

"Find what?"

"Tinker with the box. I'll freshen up in the meanwhile." Ranveer looked at her curiously as she got up and headed to the washroom with her night clothes.

Ishaani left the washroom half an hour later, rubbing her hair with the towel vigorously. Ranveer looked at her, smiling from ear to ear, a windchime in his hand.

"I didn't know that you still have this." Ishaani smiled broadly as she saw the black and gold wind chime shimmering in the glorious lights of the room, clicking with the same soothing sound like it always did.

"This was such a key instrument of our past. How could I let it be, especially when you had gifted them to me?" Ranveer smiled at her lovingly before Ishaani questioned inquisitively.

"Where are the chimes that you'd gifted me for my 15th birthday?" Ranveer gave her a dazzling look.

"It's in the kids' room." Ishaani looked taken aback before she asked curiously.

"The kids' room? But I never noticed-"

"It's because I placed it over there just yesterday when you were asleep. Those chimes were in my office cabin previously. Somehow, I felt that the chimes went well with the kids' room, so I brought it home with me yesterday afternoon." Both of them looked at each other and smiled radiantly.

"These chimes always remind me of the way we healed our broken hearts." Ranveer correctly her immediately.

"These chimes _were_ our broken hearts."

"Which we successfully healed." Ishaani gave Ranveer a meaningful look and he smiled in agreement.

"True enough. Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"How did you know that much?" Ishaani chuckled mentally, knowing that Ranveer couldn't let something like this drop. She answered truthfully.

"The diary." Ranveer gasped in surprise, while his eyes widened. He stuttered a bit before framing his sentence whole.

"The diary? But I barely let anything out..."

"No, you didn't. But then again, you left subtle hints. I got the perfect idea when you were mentioning your accident phase and how death was so close to you again."

Both Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other distantly, their own set of thoughts suddenly overcoming the light atmosphere of the room. Both of them sat together silently, staring at everything and nothing, making sure to keep their eyes averted from each other. They did not comprehend what overcame them all of a sudden, but they both felt vulnerable, something that they were both unprepared for. They could read each other's thoughts in the open air, as though the other one's mind was a transparent book and for once, they needed seclusion of their thoughts.

After what felt like an eon, when reality had only let gone of half an hour, Ranveer spoke distantly.

"It's two times that I've evaded death." Ishaani looked at him sharply, looking at the drowning look in his eyes. She could suddenly feel their conversation touching dangerous waters, as though their conversation from the previous night was not as merry and calming as it seemed.

"What's your point?" Ranveer looked at Ishaani suddenly and the latter could have sworn that her soul shivered at the look in his eyes.

"Ever heard of 'third time being a charm'?" Ishaani glared at Ranveer angrily, her face going red with rage, before she spoke defiantly.

"Yes, and I will tether you back to life every time. Talk about this one more time and I swear I'll-" Ranveer looked at her frightfully and cut the conversation short, afraid that he was rubbing her off on the wrong side.

"Shhh! Alright, alright, don't talk anything bizarre. I still haven't gotten over that ridiculous statement of yours about getting stabbed and falling in my arms." Ishaani nodded her head with finality, before speaking curtly.

"Good, so shut up." Both of them were absorbed into another period of painful silence before Ranveer couldn't restrain his thoughts any longer.

"But just so to speak, something like that happens to us again. What then?"

Ishaani's pallor paled considerably and she felt stunned. She couldn't understand why Ranveer was being so insistent and kept talking about death in a revering fascination. She cocked her eyebrows at him, getting an expectant look in return. She could not decipher what he was up to or how best she should go ahead with the conversation, when she could feel a heated frustration begin to froth within her. Sighing, she went for the safest answer.

"I don't want to talk about this."

"But just to say-" Ishaani felt her frustration swiftly blend into a newfound anger and she retorted heatedly.

"What is wrong with you?! Why are you so fascinated with _it_?!" Ranveer looked taken aback by her more than hostile tone but stood his ground nonetheless. He stared at him helplessly.

"It's not fascination. I'm just trying to be realistic." Ishaani rolled her eyes, her anger getting the better of her judgment. She distantly heard Martin's words from earlier float in her ears about being strong and helping Ranveer overcome his demons, but she found Ranveer's stubbornness unnerving.

"Our life hasn't been realistic or idealistic, the least to say." Ranveer looked at her pleadingly, but she refused to meet his eyes, afraid to drown in his fears, knowing that she had to be strong enough to pull him out of the rut, not drown into it with him.

"Ishaani-"

"Drop it." Ranveer gave her an annoyed look that Ishaani returned with equal intensity.

"But-" Ishaani felt her restrain crack and exploded.

"Enough! Some months back, you told me that I wasn't letting our wounds heal because I always kept screwing up by talking about things that are way in the past." Ranveer took on the offensive and glared at her.

"So do you mean to say that I'm screwing up now?" Ishaani sprung up from the bed and shook her index finger at him threateningly.

"Something like that, yes. Stop fancying death! It's turning into an obsession with you now!" Ranveer sprung up alongside, a manic fire burning within them.

"You won't understand!" Ishaani gave him a sarcastic look, distantly wondering where their cheerful mood from before had evaporated.

"Understand? _Understand?_ From what I understand, you've started forming an eerie bond with it! It's like you enjoy it-" Ishaani stopped at her statement abruptly as she saw Ranveer's face lose all expression. She knew that she had crossed a limit and made to speak, but words failed her. Ranveer looked at her blankly for several minutes before speaking nonchalantly.

"You've had a long day. Go to sleep." Ishaani shook her head fearfully, afraid that she had spoken stupidly and had rubbed him off the wrong side.

"But-"

"Alright. If you want to stay up, it's your choice. I'm exhausted. Goodnight." Ranveer made to sit down again, but Ishaani firmly caught hold of his wrist.

"It's 5 in the evening."

"So much the better. I haven't slept the whole last night and I barely slept for four hours in the day." Ishaani threw his wrist back and Ranveer laid himself down quickly, covering the blanket up till his shoulders. Ishaani felt hot tears spring into her eyes, terribly upset by what had happened.

"Damn you, Ranveer! Must you behave like this now?" Ranveer looked away from her as he shut off the lamps.

"I'll be damned if I don't." Ishaani glared at him angrily as she walked towards the door, before slamming it behind her harshly.

"Fine! Do as you please! As you said, I've had a long day and you need to figure out a lot of things for yourself. I'll be in the other room if you need me."

* * *

**Phew! :) :) No throwing anything over me for this.**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54: The Stars of our Heaven **

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The next morning, Ranveer and Ishaani both sat over the table in stony silence, refusing to acknowledge the other's presence. Claudine sat opposite them, with Fred and George in the pram, looking at the sombre atmosphere with interest. Martin was asleep, courtesy of Fred and George who refused to sleep the whole night and ended up keeping Martin on his feet till 6 in the morning.

Claudine stared at both of them sitting sullenly, jabbing forks over their plates much harder than was necessary. She sighed, eating her bowl of oats silently, hoping for someone to break the icy cold atmosphere of the room. Finally, when Claudine had given up hope of any conversation in the morning, Ishaani spoke up.

"Fine day, isn't it? One to cherish life and its beauty." Claudine couldn't help but bite her cheek to prevent herself from laughing at the lameness of the statement. Apparently Ranveer had the same views on the subject, for the next minute, he snorted out loud.

"People can do better than that." Ishaani gave him a cold look.

"Well, people can even do better without shoving the topic of death forcefully in every conversation." Ranveer retorted heatedly, while Ishaani took a bite of her pancake.

"Well, in my defense, I don't fantasize getting stabbed." Ishaani gave him a skeptical look, her lips twitching mercilessly.

"First of all, it was something I _blurted_ out once._ Once!_ I don't _fantasize_ about it. And in my defense, I'm not the one waiting for a third time." Ranveer huffed, waving his hand airily in her direction, while Ishaani dropped her fork and turned in his direction.

"Let Claudine decide." Ishaani nodded her head and turned to look at Claudine, who gave them both a disinterested look. Fred and George squeaked from the pram noisily.

"Yes, Claudine, what say you?" Claudine gave the two of them an exasperated look, wondering where she got involved into the conversation from, before cocking her eyebrow up in his direction.

"Does this look like a court hearing to you?" Ishaani clicked her tongue impatiently.

"Just give your frank opinion." Claudine rolled her eyes before speaking heatedly.

"Hmmm, alright. In the matter of Vaghela v/s Vaghela, all I have to say is that I _do not _talk to a bunch of blithering, bumbling band of _buffoons!" _Ranveer and Ishaani stared at her dumbstruck before speaking courageously in unison.

"Hey!" Ranveer and Ishaani looked at Claudine affronted, but the latter gave them a cold look.

"Don't look at me like that. I know better than to pick sides over here. So please excuse me, I need to take Freddie and George for a stroll." Ishaani and Ranveer looked at Claudine guiltily, still refusing to make eye contact with each other. Ranveer spoke softly.

"Claud, take some rest. I'll take the kids for a stroll." Ishaani nodded her head solemnly.

"Yeah, Claud, go and have a nap. I'll take the kids for a stroll."

"No, I'll take them." Ishaani gave Ranveer a skeptical look and snorted.

"Yeah right, because you look like you could do with a nap as well." Ranveer gave her a deadpan look, pushing the chair behind and getting up.

"I'm perfectly alright, thank you. Atleast my cheeks aren't blotchy red."

"I'm taking the kids. Decided." Ishaani got up and walked towards the pram to see Fred and George staring at her curiously. The moment Ishaani took him into her arms, Fred burst out into a fit of screeching wails. Ishaani looked frightened as Ranveer walked towards her, clicking his tongue with mock disapproval.

"Well, it looks like it has been decided who they want to go with." Ishaani set Fred down on the pram half-heartedly as Ranveer picked up George in his arms. The reaction was instantaneous - George broke out into an even bigger bout of wailings and Ishaani gave him a triumphant look.

"So much for that, smarty pants!" Claudine looked at both of them hopelessly before Ranveer quickly put George back in the pram. Claudine walked up to them and shook her head dejectedly.

"Well, I guess Freddie and George don't like the buffoons either. Never mind, I'll take them for their walk."

Claudine took the pram away from Ishaani's grip and slowly strolled it along, leaving Ranveer and Ishaani highly abashed. Both of them looked at each other desperately, unable to bear the children's rejection.

"Sorry!" Ranveer and Ishaani both spoke in unison, looking pleadingly in Claudine's direction. Claudine turned behind, confused.

"What?"

"We said that we are sorry!" Claudine smirked at them before she knelt down, looking at Fred.

"What was that, Freddie?" She gently stroked his cheek and he giggled. "Oh, so you could not hear what God Pa and God Ma said. Hmmm... Would you mind repeating again?" Ranveer and Ishaani glared at Claudine before Fred giggled again, entertained by the course of events. Sighing, both of them looked at Claudine and spoke audibly.

"Sorry." Claudine looked at Fred and asked lovingly.

"Are you happy now, little one?" Fred giggled for the third time in response and Claudine smiled. "That's like my boy."

Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other hesitantly, still not ready to let the matter rest. Apparently, Claudine had the same view, for the next moment, George was addressed next.

"Now what's that you are saying, _mon petit_?" George clapped his hand together and Claudine got to her feet. "Well, George says that as much as your apology was audible, it was not heartfelt. He also wonders why you are apologizing to me when it is to each other that you must do the same." Ranveer and Ishaani now gritted their teeth in frustration and Ishaani spoke irritably.

"The kids are barely two months! How on Earth would they understand something like that?!" George gave an angry wail and Ranveer pinched Ishaani.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders, shuffling his feet uncomfortably while trying to choose his words carefully. Giving up at long last, he spoke with resignation.

"I'm sorry." Ishaani looked at Ranveer guiltily before speaking morosely.

"I'm sorry too." Ranveer gave her an uncertain look before asking childishly.

"Truce?"

"Truce." Both of them smiled at each other before Ishaani walked towards Ranveer's embrace and drowned herself into his essence. Ranveer smiled into her hair before speaking softly.

"You were right. I was getting paranoid over something far less realistic." Ishaani looked at him soulfully before speaking.

"You wanted to know my answer yesterday. If there were ever to be a third time, God forbid, then two things are most appropriate to happen. Either I will tether you to life or you will tether me to death. It's as simple as that."

"Why?"

"Because neither of us can survive with half a soul or a dead heart." Ranveer looked at Ishaani curiously before speaking firmly.

"We will never mention this topic between us again."

"Wrong. We will learn to deal with this topic eventually, and overcome our fear. As you said, bad blood over one's wounds won't do any good."

"God, we are such idiots."

"On any normal occasion, I would have asked you to speak for yourself, but I handled the situation most poorly yesterday."

Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other for a few moments before Ishaani pulled Ranveer close to her, eliminating all space between them. Their lips met passionately, meeting and parting feverishly, their topic of discussion flowing away. Ranveer ran his hands over her back through her blouse and kissed her neck heatedly before Claudine's voice cut sharply, putting an end to their heated session.

"We are still here, you know! The kids didn't have to see your PDA!" Ranveer and Ishaani looked at Claudine dazed, but remained silent. "Seriously, get a room!" Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other and smiled. Interlocking his fingers within her own, Ranveer slowly led Ishaani away from the hall, smiling shyly, Ishaani doing the same. The latter however managed to look behind and wink at Claudine, while mouthing a 'Thank you', Claudine giving her a gentle smile.

* * *

Ishaani woke up, cold sweats breaking out over her forehead throughout. She was afraid that she had yelled out in her sleep, and Ranveer would have been spooked awake. It was why the silence in the room comforted her so much, making calming her nerves and helping her breathing to even out eventually.

She looked around, surprised at the miracle that Ranveer's sleep had remained intact and stopped short. The bed was empty, and the blanket rather abruptly thrown off. Puzzled, she quickly got up from the bed, immediately putting on her gown. She checked the bathroom and all the other rooms in the house (save Martin and Claudine's), but to no avail. She could not understand where Ranveer could have gone off suddenly, but her heart was still, knowing that he was alright.

She tried his phone but it buzzed from her room. Frowning, her mind deep in thought as to where he must have been, Ishaani shut her eyes, letting the sole feeling comfort her that no warning bells were going off in her mind already.

Feelings.

Ishaani smiled, knowing what to do next as a sense of purpose overcame her suddenly, disciplining her frantic mind. She let instinct take over and followed where her feet took her, never questioning, but a tad bit curiously nonetheless. She felt the pleasant March wind dance around her body as she proceeded further, the wind refreshing her mind and the fragrance of blossoms enveloping here. She entered the garden area, the lamps lighting the garden serenely.

Her eyes sought what she was looking for instantly, and she smiled. Ranveer lay near the middle circumference of the grass over a picnic cloth, staring straight up at the sky. Ishaani walked up to him and gently set her slippers away, laying down beside him silently. Ranveer remained oblivious to her presence, lost away in his own train of thoughts, when Ishaani spoke softly.

"The view is beautiful, isn't it?" Ranveer jerked his head in her direction, a small smile crossing over his features.

"The best." The wind blew around them lazily, while the stars lay magnificently above them, shimmering like glitter spread throughout the canvas in a blend of black and the darkest of navy blue. They could hear the fireflies buzzing along the lamp posts lazily whiles the leaves of the trees rustled merrily.

"How come you didn't sleep?" Ranveer looked at Ishaani restlessly, before turning his attention back towards the sky.

"Didn't get sleep." Ishaani sighed, her voice lowered to a peaceful whisper.

"It will take time before you get accustomed to it." Ranveer turned his head in her direction once again before looking at her beseechingly.

"I think telling you the truth was the right decision, just not the best time for me." Ishaani nodded her head, the pleading tone in his voice begging for understanding. Ishaani smiled at him, her own train of thoughts fusing alongside.

"It's funny, you know. All this time, I thought that you were hiding the truth from me when you were actually protecting me from it. You are my sin-eater now, aren't you?" Ranveer looked at her, the term catching him unawares.

"Sin-eater? That's new." Both of them looked towards the heavenly sky before Ishaani spoke wisely.

"It would have never been the right time for you as long as you were living in denial." Ranveer shut his eyes, his mind falling through endless space, a meditative bliss filling him up. He opened his eyes and spoke truthfully.

"That's there again. But I didn't know it would affect me this bad. Look what happened yesterday." Ishaani smiled to herself, Ranveer's rigidity amusing her.

"Now I understand how you must have felt when I used to be persistent. And God knows how annoyingly childish I have been." Ranveer chuckled lightly, letting the breezy wind clear the gathering clouds before speaking with awe.

"Doesn't it frighten you? Death?" Ishaani looked at Ranveer's curious eyes that were staring into her own with the same expectancy. Ishaani sighed.

"No, it doesn't." Ranveer nodded his head, his heart happy that she was ready enough to hold him, breaking his fall.

"Is that why you have managed to be so strong when I kept buckling?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Maybe." Ranveer blinked his eyes as a few fireflies flew above their vision. After the elapsing of several minutes, he spoke blankly.

"Why?" Ishaani looked at him, smiling softly.

"I... don't know. It's confusing. I should be conflicted about death for taking away the people I love, but I'm not. It's like... death makes me stronger. I am my strongest self when challenged by it. It's strange... terrible even. But it's what it is."

Both of them looked above the sky as the shooting star passed. Both of them shut their eyes and opened them, smiling ear to ear, as though the intoxication of the night had finally wiggled its way into their veins. Ranveer looked at Ishaani, a new spirit overcoming him, the Ranveer from the past few years emerging within him once again.

"Why are we doing this?" Ishaani looked at him curiously, the change in his tone catching her attention.

"Doing what?"

"Letting this come between us." Ishaani chuckled, thinking about the absurdity of the answer that just came across her mind.

"I guess we aren't used to being happy for so long." Ranveer shook his head, amuses by her answer.

"It's silly isn't it?"

"Downright foolish, if you ask me. We should be celebrating life and its joyous spirits, celebrating love, anniversaries, birthdays, kids and what we have, but all we do is keep fretting over things that do not exist." Ranveer looked at her suddenly, a worried look on his face.

"Do you think we need to see a shrink or something?" Ishaani pondered over his question for some time before replying reluctantly.

"No... Not really." Ranveer looked at the heavens, before the next question left his lips with a sincerity that touched Ishaani.

"Why is it so difficult for us to accept light?" Ishaani stroked his head lovingly before speaking softly.

"Ranveer, you of all people should know better. We've lived the last three years of our lives in total darkness. When we met each other again, we both never had hopes that things would resurface the way it did. You took the first step, I followed. We removed the darkness from our hearts, exposing it to a light we had forgotten. The light was bound to burn some time, since out wounds are raw, even though healed."

"But why am I fixated?" Ishaani smiled, knowing that this was the best time to make him overcome his fear.

"Because you refused to accept it. It haunts you now. Just hold my hand and let me lead you through this." Ranveer nodded his head, a newfound determination taking over his mind.

"We'll both walk out of this fine." Ishaani smiled at him confidently before Ranveer spoke hesitantly. "You still haven't told me though."

"About what?"

"About what your verdict is on your father." Ishaani sighed tiredly, and Ranveer interlocked his fingers within her own once again.

"I'm tired. I will think about it someday... someday. For now, I just want to sleep, in your arms."

Ranveer stroked her hair slowly before leaving a small kiss over her forehead. She shut her eyes sleepily, her eyes suddenly surrendering to the will of her fatigued mind. She turned herself over into Ranveer's arms, her head finding the crux of his neck, a small smile unconsciously making its way to her face.

Ranveer looked at Ishaani's face and smiled, the foreboding in his heart fading away gradually, leaving only a tingling sense of anticipation in its wake. Ranveer saw the ring over his finger gleaming in the streaming moonlight and shut his eyes.

The last thing striking his mind was the distinct feeling of Ishaani's even breathing and her unique description of him before he voiced out mentally, sleep claiming him almost instantly after that.

The skies and the heavens smiled done upon them as the stars shone brighter, the stars of their heavens merging to form a momentary gleam in the sky. The heavens knew what awaited them, and could only smile as they saw the two souls building their path to a destiny that was already written for them.

* * *

**Weeee! :D I finally completed my first Golden Jubilee and I'm thrilled! :D :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos.**


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55: Cheers to Timothy!**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani let the breath enter and leave her lungs, refreshing her mind with nature's goodness. She could not remember when she had felt so satiated after a good sleep, but it didn't matter. All that did was the cold, pleasant breeze hitting her face merrily along with the feeling of being enveloped in a huge bear hug, a paw on her face.

Ishaani suddenly frowned, as she felt something lick her face, some sort of furry hair tickling her features. She waved her hands in the air, trying to shoo it away, before she fell asleep. She had nearly gotten herself fully comfortable in the same warm embrace before she felt something jump over her. She yelped, waking up from her sleep abruptly, dizziness immediately taking over for a few moments.

She looked around stupidly, wondering who it was that had disrupted her blissful sleep, when she looked groggily at Ranveer. He had the same mixture of disorientation and irritation over his face, before it clouded into confusion. Both of them stared at each other for a few moments before they heard a bark. Both of them looked around, sleep still clogging their senses when they saw it.

A snowy, furry Lhasa-Apso was sitting before them, watching the two of them intently, his tongue lapping continuously. Both of stared at the dog in a dazed manner, before it barked again. The bark sapped the sleep out of Ranveer and Ishaani as they stared at the dog, who had now begun to wag it's tail. Ranveer slowly forwarded his hand and the dog walked forward, introducing a paw.

Ranveer smiled warmly at the dog and Ishaani chuckled as she did the same. The dog walked up to her and forwarded his paw once again, while Ishaani shook it happily. The dog quickly sprang up onto Ishaani's lap, while the latter ruffled its fur. The dog wagged his tail with much more enthusiasm while Ishaani gave the puppy a smitten look.

"Look at this neffy poo! Isn't he cute?" Ranveer looked at the dog curiously before nodding his head.

"He certainly looks like a dear. But who is he? Where has he come from?" Ishaani scanned the dog carefully before she noticed his collar and its pendant attached.

"Wait, there is something on his collar." Ishaani quickly took out the collar from his neck and read the tag in the center, that had a name written over a bone pendant. "It reads Timothy."

"Alright, so we know that this tyke's name is Timothy." The moment Ranveer uttered Timothy, the puppy perked his ears up and jumped from Ishaani's lap, quickly going over to Ranveer and staring at him with a friendly look. "Well, we now know that this tyke's name is _certainly_ Timothy. Good." Ishaani smiled gently as the dog looked at her curiously, before she voiced her next question.

"The next question that arises is that where is this neffy poo from?" Ranveer gave the question a brief thought before he looked at the pendant in her hand.

"Is there a cavity in that bone pendant?" Ishaani inspected the pendant closely before nodding her head. She realized that the pendant was like a miniature box and opened the cavity. Inside was a small neatly-folded note that Ishaani smoothed out hastily. The note was a simple contact information.

_Timothy_

_Belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Mallory_

_In case you find this note, please contact 210-935-7742_

Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other before the former got up, flexing his limbs. Ishaani followed suit and the Timothy stood by their heels, waiting for them to take the next step. Both of them saw Timothy looking at them eagerly before Ishaani picked him up in her arms. He wriggled slightly before making himself comfortable and Ishaani couldn't help but laugh.

It had barely been 20 minutes with the dog and she had already felt a strong attachment building with it. She looked in Ranveer's direction and saw him staring at the two of them lovingly, and both of them shared a strong look. Ranveer took the lead and began making his way to the house, while Ishaani followed him quietly. Both of them reached the house, when Timothy gave a loud bark.

Martin and Claudine came out hurriedly from the dining room, a worried expression on their faces that almost instantly wore off at the sight of Ranveer and Ishaani. Claudine looked at them annoyed before her eyes fell over Timothy.

"Where have the two of you... why, who is this cute little angel over here?" Ishaani stroked Timothy's head lovingly, while Ranveer spoke fondly.

"We found him in the garden. Or rather, he found us." Claudine and Martin both stared at the puppy tenderly before the formers put her hands on her hips, her expression close to a frown.

"Which brings me back to the point of discussion. Where were the two of you?" Ishaani gave Claudine an apologetic look, as she handed over the puppy to Martin.

"In the garden. We, uh, slept outside." Claudine nodded her head, her expressions relaxing, while Martin asked curiously.

"What's his name?" Ranveer smiled at the doting note in Martin's voice before he replied warmly.

"It's Timothy." Martin and Claudine played with Timothy for a few minutes before Ishaani spoke worriedly. "We need to inform his owners that we've found him." Claudine looked at Timothy keenly and Ishaani noticed that the former had made the same connection with the dog like she herself had done so. Both the women shared a look with each other, while Martin queried further.

"Is there any contact information on him?" Ranveer motioned his head in an affirmative bow.

"Yes, we found a landline number." Claudine looked up towards Ranveer and Ishaani before speaking softly.

"Alright. Give them a call. Meanwhile, I'll have one of the helpers give this fellow a shower. He looks downtrodden if you ask me." Ranveer and Ishaani nodded their heads as Claudine took the puppy in her arms, while Martin ruffled its fur. They took the dog and headed towards the servant's quarters to call for a helper, while Ranveer and Ishaani headed towards their room to freshen up.

Half an hour later, Ranveer, Ishaani, Martin and Claudine sat in the living room, each occupying their favourite seats, while Timothy sat on a cushion over the floor. Now that he was well-groomed, he looked much more homely and well-kept, even though Timothy looked slightly disgruntled at being exposed to so much water at once. Ishaani picked up the landline receiver and dialed the number on the note, while everyone eyed her with interest. The moment the call went through, the voice message played, before Ishaani spoke confidently.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mallory, this is Ishaani Vaghela speaking. I and my husband found your dog in our garden this morning, along with the note in his collar. Do please give me a call whenever you get this message." The phone beeped and someone picked up the phone from the opposite end. Ishaani gave a half-nod before she put the phone on speaker.

"Mrs. Vaghela, it's Mrs. Mallory here." Ishaani sighed, before putting on a courteous tone.

"Hello, Mrs. Mallory. I hope you're doing alright."

"Yes, I'm doing alright, thank you. I hope you are doing fine, Ishaani, if I can call you by your name?" Ishaani smiled, before replying politely.

"Oh no, it's fine, Mrs. Mallory." Even though Mrs. Mallory seemed friendly enough, Ishaani couldn't shed aside the feeling that things weren't as they seemed.

"Bella will do." Ishaani rolled her eyes and Timothy gave a loud bark as the voice of his mistress excited him. Claudine smiled at the enthusiasm that Timothy showed at the voice of Bella while Martin and Ranveer gave the puppy fine looks.

"Yes, Bella. So as I was saying, we found little Timothy in our garden this morning. You must be worried sick about him." There was a pregnant silence on the phone before Bella gave a monosyllabic reply.

"Uhh..." Ishaani could hear the reluctance in Bella's tone before she questioned curiously, the feeling of something being off getting stronger with the passing moments.

"He _is_ your dog now, isn't he?" Timothy barked louder and hopped over the sofa, trying to paw Ishaani to give him the phone. Ranveer quickly caught hold of the over-enthusiastic puppy, while Ishaani waited for a reply impatiently, that came after a prolonged time.

"Yes, he is our dog." Taking a deep breath, she rushed with her speech. "Actually we left him off some days ago. You see, we are moving over to Shanghai in the next few days and we couldn't have Timothy along with us. So we had to leave him." Ishaani's eyebrows contracted with confusion, as she questioned testily.

"Leave him? Where exactly did you _leave_ him?" Another heavy silence over the whole, and Ishaani could smell a lot of guilt and foul play in the air. After what seemed like an eternity, Bella replied, her voice now barely audible.

"Somewhere between the, uh, Athens-Vari highway." Ishaani was robbed of her speech as she suddenly felt herself drown and froth in a rage that she had never known. Ranveer sensed it too, for he now took over the conversation, setting Timothy over the floor while Claudine rushed to sit beside her, holding her hand tightly, afraid that Ishaani would explode any moment. Ranveer quickly spoke into the cord line, hoping that the mistress of the dog didn't misinterpret the situation.

"Mrs. Mallory, this is Ranveer here. Sorry, my wife had to leave urgently." Ranveer could have sworn that he heard the woman give a distinctive sigh of relief as she replied only too happily.

"Uh... it's alright." Ranveer scowled over the line, as Martin caught Timothy in his arms securely, who was making another dash for the phone, his barks at a peak.

"So, what do you want us to do now?" This time, Bella spoke immediately.

"Look, I am really happy that Timmy found you and your wife. Honestly, the two of you seem like lovable people. But as much as I appreciate it, we cannot take him back. It took us a lot of effort to get rid of him in the first place." Ishaani and Claudine both fumed over her statement of 'getting rid of him', but Martin signaled them to remain silent. Suddenly, Timothy's barks stopped abruptly, and he slowly settled himself over the couch once again that only fuelled both the women's anger against the cold Mrs. Mallory. Ranveer looked at the dog's dispirit and spoke quickly.

"But, uh, given that you don't need Timothy, is it alright if we keep him?" Four sets of eyes stared at him intently and he felt slightly uncomfortable, before Mrs. Mallory spoke hurriedly.

"Yes, Ranveer, I think it would be wonderful if you did so. And I'm so sorry to cut the conversation short, but I have to make a dash for work now. It's my last day, you see." Ranveer nodded his head, before speaking politely.

"Thank you so much, and goodbye, Mrs. Mallory." Ranveer disconnected the line quickly, his face steadily contracting into an outraged look. Ishaani looked at him once, the few controversial statements getting the better of her, before she exploded violently.

"HOW DARE SHE! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! SHE PRACTICALLY LEFT THE DOG TO DIE!" Martin and Ranveer both cowered under the murderous look that Ishaani had over her face while Timothy quickly scampered and hid under the sofa, afraid of the sudden outburst. Claudine had a similar look of anger on her face before she spoke vehemently.

"I can't believe how heartless people can be these days!" Ranveer and Martin both looked at each other in question, before they made communication through their eyes, mutually deciding to concentrate on the heartbroken and abandoned dog rather than over their ballistic wives, who were beyond their control at the moment. Both of them bent below the sofa to see Timothy quivering inside.

Ranveer slowly reached out for the dog, who refused to leave it's hiding place, before Martin managed to bring it out. Martin held him in his arms and rubbed the dog's back soothingly before speaking to Claudine and Ishaani reproachfully.

"As much as your anger is justified, please mes cheries, no yelling so loudly. The poor mite is afraid of such loud noises." Ishaani and Claudine looked at the dog guiltily before they apologized.

"We are sorry, sweetheart. It's just... fate has been so cruel to you now, hasn't it? Being abandoned by the people you love." Ranveer smiled at Timothy, before speaking softly.

"Well, he found the right house now, hasn't he? We have all been abandoned by the world at some point of time or the other. I and Martin were social outcasts because of our status. Ishaani was a social outcast because the world tagged her illegitimate. Claud, you were an outcast to the world and your profession in particular because of your theory papers on memory repression that the world considered impossible, before it was proved otherwise and the world accepted you back, with awards and accolades. So well, it was obvious that Timothy here would have a newfound connection with us." Ishaani stared at the dog devotedly before she spoke sincerely.

"From now on, we are your family, Timmy. And we will always love you and care for you like our own. Yes, you will certainly miss your old family, but we will make sure to give you as much happiness as we can." Timmy looked at Ishaani with wide-eyes, before he slowly jumped over the couch once again and licked her hand lovingly. Ishaani smiled and Martin, Claudine and Ranveer made similar declarations to him, with Timmy walked up to them and giving them a sniff and a lick happily, before the dog's happy spirits returned from before.

All the four of them stared at Timothy with a love that they had never known before, while Timothy gave a loud, booming bark. Claudine looked at all of them staring at the puppies antics with a new interest, before speaking aloud.

"Cheers to us." Ishaani looked at Claudine and smiled, as she continued.

"Cheers to the newest member of our family. Cheers to Timothy!"

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done finally!. :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56: Mystery of Blackouts**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The next few days passed pleasantly with Timothy blending in with the family soon enough. There were times when Timmy suddenly went into a shell and would sleep within his basket for several hours before someone would manage to cheer him up. But Timmy had found two new companions, apart from the four grown-ups in the house.

Even though Fred and George remained in their prams for majority of the time, Timmy would find an innate comfort by sitting beside the pram, looking at the babies with an agreeable interest, and would paw at their pram when the children were awake. The children liked the new member of the family as well, for they kept giggling and clapping their hands every time they saw Timmy, and would burst into fits and tantrums and tears when he wasn't around.

Martin and Claudine eased up considerably as the former's apprehensions about his job had now nearly faded away, along with the return of confidence. The new Martin made for a brilliant change, with Claudine certainly basking much more along his side, but all of them were mentally grateful that his nature was still the same - trusting and ever-smiling.

Along with Martin's new aspirations, Claudine couldn't help but grow steadily efficient in handling the kids, even though she missed the hospital dearly. She, however, found a new friend in little Timmy, who would follow her around the house, when not with Fred and George, and Claudine did not mind spoiling the dog by giving him treats every now and then.

Timothy's presence, however, had it's most profound impact over Ranveer, who had reverted to his old, smiling self. Timothy was Ranveer's pet and would brst into fit of booming barks the moment Ranveer would set foot in the house. Timmy would enjoy the most amount of pampering from Ranveer, with Martin being a strong contender for the same. But Timmy kept shuttling constantly between him and Martin whenever the two of them were in the same room.

The only person whose mood kept declining everyday was Ishaani. She left no stone unturned in nurturing and caring for Timmy and the latter slept on her lap whenever she was around. Ishaani had now overtaken the burden of the home's responsibility of Claudine's shoulders and had now started managing both her work and home meticulously, but the fact didn't go amiss by anyone that it was taking a severe toll on her health.

There were several days in the next three weeks when Ishaani looked exhausted and looked close to collapsing. Some days, she would elapse into prolonged and moody silences for hours, during which she would only have Timmy with her, and some days, she looked lost. Martha had called in twice in the next three weeks that Ishaani had almost fainted in the library due to be over-exerted.

Today followed the same suit. Ishaani was sent back home by Martha at two in the afternoon. Claudine and Timmy were in the garden playing catch when the latter galloped away towards the back door swiftly, barking happily. Claudine ran behind him confused, before she saw Ishaani on the couch, stroking Timmy's back lovingly.

Claudine looked at Ishaani questioningly, only to get a disgruntled look in return, as Ishaani lifted Timmy up onto her lap. Claudine shook her head dejectedly and was about to speak when Ishaani spoke irritably.

"I can't believe Martha! She actually sent me back home! And I had such an important meeting with the Board!" Claudine ignored her childish rant and spoke firmly.

"Ishaani, you need to get yourself shown to a doctor." Ishaani gave her a terrified look before she spoke hurriedly.

"Claud, I'm fine! There is nothing wrong with me. It was just a blackout." Claudine gave her a stern look with the latter refused to meet. Claudine narrowed her eyes at Ishaani before speaking irritably.

"Well, what about your headaches?" Ishaani frowned at gave her a bewildered look.

"What about them?"

"You've been complaining of a headache practically since the past fifteen days." Ishaani still had the same look plastered over her face.

"So?" Claudine gave her an annoyed look before she spoke with a finality.

"So, you are going to the doctor. If you refuse to do so, I'll personally make sure to drag you along." Ishaani shook her head reproachfully as Claudine gave her an authoritative look.

"Must you be this harsh? I promise that I'll take more care of myself now, alright?" Claudine huffed airily as she crossed her arms.

"No, it's not alright. You are coming to the doctor with me and that's that. No arguments on this." Ishaani clicked her tongue, now thoroughly annoyed.

"But why are you being so insistent?"

"Because you don't look well to me at all. And it's not because of the over-exertion," Claudine added hurriedly as she saw that Ishaani was about to speak. The latter glared at her angrily before huffing in resignation.

"Alright, alright. But on one condition - we'll wait for a week and see. If there is no improvement, then we'll go to the doctor. Fine?" Claudine shook her head, knowing that there was no point arguing further.

"Not really, but do I have a choice?"

* * *

Ishaani sat in her room with Timmy on the rug, _The Abduction_ in her hand. Ranveer entered the room, a look of concern of his face. Ishaani kept the book aside and looked at his worried features.

"What's wrong?"

"Martha just got off the line." Ishaani gave him a quizzical look.

"Didn't she call you like an hour back?"

"Yes, she kept the line just now." Ishaani now looked curious as Ranveer gave her a half-smile.

"What were you discussing for so long?"

"Your health." Ranveer gave her a glare and Ishaani cowered under it. He spoke firmly. "You are going to doctor tomorrow and I don't want to hear any excuses."

"But, I promised Claudine that I'd wait for a week and if there was no sign of improvement, then I'd go to the doctor." Ranveer gave Ishaani a hopeless look before speaking half-heartedly.

"Sometimes, I just don't understand you. You practically made sure to have me home for a week before I started work again post my accident. And yet you can't even show yourself to a doctor when it's most crucial."

"Ranveer, I'm fine. _Really_." Ranveer knew that there was no point arguing in her. Instead, he clapped his hands together and Timmy propped up, quickly making his way towards him. Ranveer ruffling the dog's hair before Timmy ran outside, the aroma of the roast turkey too much for him to control.

Ranveer looked at the excited puppy and smiled fondly.

"I'm glad we could give this little chap a home."

"We are pretty good with him. At first, I didn't know whether we would be able to care for him that well, given that neither of us have any experience of the sort, but we did it. I found it quite simple actually."

"That's the case with everything. It takes some tinkering before you get the hang of it." Ishaani smiled at him fondly before getting out of bed slowly. She walked up to him and Ranveer gave her a hug. She hugged him back tiredly and flashed him a smile that only made Ranveer frown more in worry.

Both of them made their way out of the room and began descending the staircase slowly. The two of them were halfway through when Ranveer suddenly felt Ishaani yank his hand hard and before he knew it, he felt her fall fully over him, losing his own balance as well before he felt his back hit the wall behind. He felt his breath get knocked out of him, his heart racing rapidly at the sudden shock. Exhaling out shakily, he looked to see Ishaani wrapped in his arms securely, her head slightly drooping.

"Ishaani? You there?" Ishaani raised her head up and Ranveer could see that her eyes were blank before she suddenly nodded her head and moaned.

"My ankle. It hurts." Ranveer steadied his breath before he askd her softly.

"Can you walk?" Ishaani tried to take a step forward before she lost her balance again, her stiletto bending awkwardly. Ranveer clicked his tongue sadly before lifting her up in his arms and carrying her back to her room. Martin and Claudine, who saw the entire proceeding, quickly walked upstairs.

Ranveer slowly laid Ishaani on the bed while the latter winced slightly as her ankle made contact with the mattress. Claudine quickly entered the room with Martin behind her, the former taking a seat near Ishaani and freeing her of her stilettos.

"God, look at your leg. The stilettos have swollen it up pretty bad. You musnt wear such tight ones."

"I- Ouch!" Claudine gave her an apologetic look as she massaged her ankle for a minute. Ranveer and Martin stared at Ishaani's painfully tear-stained face before Claudine spoke sadly.

"I'll bandage your leg now, but it's badly sprained. You will have to show the doctor tomorrow." Ishaani gave her a beseeching look.

"Can't you do something?"

"I can apply a spray, but you need to get your ankle shown to the doctor. Its pretty puffed up, which shouldn't be the case. I'll call Louis up at the hospital and get you an appointment. I'll come along. Then I need to take you for your regular check-up as well." Ishaani looked speechless for a few minutes before she spoke painfully.

"Fine._ Fine._ I'll come with you tomorrow." Ranveer and Martin gave each other a knowing look and smiled at Ishaani's dejected face while Claudine gave her a sympathetic look.

"Don't fret. Just think that God is giving you a sign." Ishaani threw her hands up in the air in mock outrage.

"It was not God! It was Timmy's _ball_ on the staircase!" Claudine couldn't help but hide the smile that appeared on her face before she gave Ishaani a reprimanding look.

"Well, I don't really understand why you wear such high stilettos in the first place. It's not healthy anyway."

"I know, but it's just..." Claudine looked at her hesitancy and smiled.

"I know why you wear them. I'm just talking about its effects from the anatomical point of view."

"Claud, I know." Claudine quickly applied some spray and bandaged her leg perfectly. Ishaani nodded her head in thanks while Claudine got up slowly.

"Do one thing. Rest here. I'll have one of the helpers send the food up."

"Alright. On second thought, lets all of us dine here. Wait, where is Timmy?" Ranveer looked towards the door to see a little white fur popping out from the side of the wall. Ranveer walked out to see Timmy give him a sad look and the former smiled at him lovingly.

"Don't be so sad, Tim. She's alright. It's not your fault." Timmy whined morosely and Ranveer lifted him up in his arms. Ishaani looked at the puppy and smiled, as Ranveer lowered him into her arms.

"Tim, I am fine. See? Don't be so upset. We all hate it when you are not cheerful self." Ishaani scratched his ear affectionately and Timmy barked in a welcome tone.

The rest of the evening went of peacefully as the four of them dined, light banter in the air. Claudine kept giving Timmy treats from her plate that the latter had without making a mess, impressing all the four of them.

Martin and Claudine called it a night soon after and Timmy made his way to his kennel in the garden. Ranveer and Ishaani sat silently, reading a book and a file respectively, before Ranveer spoke, amused.

"This just isn't your day now, is it?"

"Tell me about it." Ranveer gave her a sympathetic look and smiled.

"You know, I figured it out." Ishaani have him a confused look.

"Figured out what?"

"Why you wear the stilettos." Ishaani gave him a sweet smile as she asked curiously.

"Really? And why is that?"

"Its because you want people to look up to you. You want to become an idol for people, someone who people can trust and rely upon. Who, when people look up to, can only see a messiah and a guide for them. You strive to be perfect. It's what you want to be." Ishaani smiled at him sheepishly.

"I'm not perfect."

"No one is. But you are good enough to me. It's all that matters to me."

Ishaani gave him a dazzling look before he kissed her forehead lovingly. Ranveer covered the blanket over Ishaani and she smiled at him sleepily. Ranveer shut off the blankets and covered the blanket over himself, his aching back hitting the soft bed beneath.

* * *

**Phew! Finally got it done! :D :D **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57: Blooms and Blossoms**

* * *

**A/N: Het there everyone! :D :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Morning followed suit and found Ishaani and Claudine in front of Dr. Louis Agnes, who had just finished examining Ishaani's sprained ankle. He walked back to his desk swiftly, Ishaani taking Claudine's support before they sat down and waited for the doctor to speak.

"As Claudine said, it's a bad sprain that you've got in your ankle. But don't worry, it isn't anything serious. However, I must advice you to stop wearing stilettos. Its the root cause for a lot of problems, especially swelling up of feet and back aches, both of which you have been suffering from." Ishaani looked half-hearted before nodded her head nonetheless.

"Louis, don't worry, I'll make sure that she takes full care of this from now on."

"I know you will, Claud. Mrs. Vaghela, I must also ask you to take good rest for some time. You look pale to me." Ishaani jerked her head in exasperation and Claudine smiled.

"Lou, I got all of her tests done just right now. Do I need to keep applying the spray for her ankle?"

"Do it for a day or two. But try to keep massaging her ankle. It should get alright soon enough." Claudine nodded her head and stood up slowly.

"Thank you, Lou." Dr. Louis gave her a warm smile before speaking sincerely.

"We miss you around here loads, Claud. When are you coming back?"

"Someday." Ishaani felt her lips twitch at Claudine's reply as she stood up, taking the support of the table. Dr. Louis stood up and kissed Claudine's cheeks affectionately.

"Take care. Give Martin my regards and the kids my love." Claudine smiled and Louis turned to look at Ishaani. "Get well soon, Mrs. Vaghela." Ishaani gave him a acknowledging smile as he courteously kissed her cheeks.

Claudine and Ishaani left the hospital, taking their respective places in the backseat of the car, as the driver turned on the engines and began driving. Both the women sat in peaceful silence before Ishaani initiated the conversation first.

"So, someday, huh?" Claudine gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't want to join the hospital back." It was less of a question and more of a statement. Claudine smiled.

"It's not like that..."

"Sounded just like that to me." Claudine sighed irritably before her features softened.

"You won't understand."

"Try me." Claudine let out a deep breath before speaking truthfully.

"I miss the hospital a lot. But I also know that I want to raise my kids on my own. Not with servants and helpers. It was a very difficult choice for me but I know where my priorities lies. Freddy and George need me much more than the hospital. Besides, Martin has finally broken through the shackles that had restricted him for so long. It doesn't matter now." Ishaani gave her an understanding smile.

"I'm glad that your priorities are set right. But isn't that a very huge sacrifice on your part?"

"Ishaani, you are not a mother yet. The day you become one, you will understand that no sacrifice is greater than the wellbeing of her child. Besides, it had to be either Martin or me. Martin gave up on his career once. I didn't want him to do the same again. Besides, I've already established my career; it's about time I establish myself as the ideal mom for my kids." Ishaani looked at her and nodded her head as she now chose to address her hands rather than Claudine.

"Sometimes, I wonder whether I can be a good mother when we do have a child." Claudine smiled in understanding and caught Ishaani's hand in her own.

"That's what every woman thinks at some point of her life. Mark my words, the day you have that tyke in your arms, catching your finger in with his whole hand, that day you will realize what you actually have in your arms. That day, you will know that you are ready; ready to be there for your child no matter what, ready to stand down just so that your kids can have better." Ishaani gave her an unsure look, before the words slipped from her tongue unconsciously.

"I feel that Ranveer and I are not ready to have kids, even though we say otherwise." Claudine shook her head and Ishaani gave her an embarrassed look.

"Funny, you should say that. I still remember the time when I broke the news out to Martin. It was a phase where things were changing so quickly, and Martin was still diving deeper into his shell. I was more afraid that evening than anything else. I was glad that Ranveer was at your place for the day, and the house was practically silent. Martin was preparing to leave and I must have thought of a thousand ways to break the news out to him. And what did I do? I just burst into tears. I am sure he must have thought in that moment that I was going to walk out on him. But when I told him that we were going to have a baby, God, the memory of Martin's face is etched in my memory forever."

"Atleast Ranveer and I don't have to worry about this aspect right now. We have Timmy." Claudine burst into peals of laughter and Ishaani smiled sheepishly. Sobering down after a few moments, Claudine turned towards Ishaani and asked her cautiously.

"I've been meaning to ask you about something."

"What's that?" Claudine gave her an unsure look and Ishaani narrowed her eyes at her.

"Uh..."

"Claud..."

"Alright," Taking a deep breath, Claudine spoke hurriedly. "Have you tried taking the pregnancy test?" Ishaani let the sticky silence pass between them for a few moments before she gave her a smile and nodded her head.

"Yes." Claudine's mouth fell open as the smile on Ishaani's face reddened.

"And?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulders before her smile broadened.

"It was a positive." Claudine's face broke out into a triumphant smile that enhanced her features remarkably. She gave Ishaani an excited look before asking inquisitively.

"When did you find out about this?"

"Just this morning, when I took the test. I've been thinking about doing this for a few days, but it was only after last night that I made up my mind."

"Given that you got a complete check-up done, your report will be out by three days. You'll get your affirmative chit by then. Although, pregnancy kits are 99% accurate." Ishaani nodded her head at her and smiled warmly. Claudine rubbed her palms in excitement. "I can't believe it! You're pregnant! God, I'm so happy for you!" Claudine pulled Ishaani for a hug while the latter couldn't help but feel flustered. Parting from their hug, Ishaani spoke wisely.

"Claud, I want to wait for the doctor's report as well. You won't mention about this to a soul till that time. Alright?" Claudine gave her a shrewd look before nodding her head.

"You're right. It's better to wait," Ishaani now shot her a nervous smile and Claudine rubbed her palm affectionately. "I'm sure he'll be ecstatic."

"But what if he-"

"Trust me, I know. He has been ready for this a long time; you both have been. Just let things flow the way it is. It'll be alright."

"I hope so."

"I know so." Claudine gave Ishaani a reassuring smile, while the latter looked out from the window to feel the fragrance of rich blossoms floating about her in a hypnotic trance. She fidgeted with the ring on her finger, wondering how Ranveer would take the news when she broke it out to him. The reports were a separate matter, but for now, she couldn't help but feel the excitement bubble in her heart at the prospect of what was coming their way.

She felt a bizarre mixture of emotions overcome her, sometimes afraid, sometimes confident, sometimes anxious yet sometimes daring. Even though she felt unprepared, she felt as though this was something that she could navigate her way through, something that she had wanted for so long finally coming her way. She wondered about how Ranveer wanted to take one step at a time and how it would affect the dynamics of their steadily blooming relationship, but the fact that she was expecting had driven everything out from her mind.

The wait of the next ten hours was perhaps the most torturous one that Ishaani had ever faced. Even though she did not want to tell Ranveer about the possibility that she was pregnant, she could not help but feel jittery enough at the thought of him. Several times during the day, she imagined scenarios where she told him about her pregnancy, his reaction to it changing every time.

She felt like a giddy school girl, who had won a prize, a possession that was much more precious than anything else in the world. She could not wait for Ranveer to get back home, even though she could not understand why she didn't want to tell him already. Perhaps it was the mystery that she wanted to build up, she countered to herself. But either way, she couldn't let anything dampen her mood today.

If she had been in her worst spirits for the past fifteen days, then she was in her best spirits today. Everyone back at the mansion noticed her sudden change in mood and were happy to have the old Ishaani back. But the happiest of the lot was Timmy, who found the cheerful Ishaani a delight to be with. Dusk finally fell when Ishaani found her patience for the day to end wearing off and with it came Ranveer and Martin home, who were instantly affected by the jovial mood of the house.

Dinner was a jolly affair that day, Ishaani's sprain long forgotten about, while the meal in itself was a heart-warmer. Ranveer and Martin both noticed the high colour on Ishaani's cheeks that had zero attribute of compact or blush-on, but was actually a flustered red. Ranveer threw her a puzzled look several times, but Ishaani only shrugged her shoulders in response, leaving Ranveer more bewildered. Pleasantly surprised as he was that Ishaani's cheerful spirits from earlier had returned, his curiosity only increased about the sudden change in her mood, that Ishaani surmised as well.

If Ishaani looked thrilled that night, Claudine was not far behind. Martin managed to deduce that something has passes between the two women that had made them so excited, but as to what it was, he could not fathom. Apart from their mysteriously bright moods, Martin and Ranveer noticed that the two women were particularly well-dressed for dinner, Ishaani having on a black blouse and a similarly shaded pantaloons, while Claudine had on a maroon dress that complemented her perfectly curved figure even more.

But the final nail to the head went when Ishaani refused to have any form of wine that night, that only aroused Ranveer's suspicion over her behavior. Dinner was followed by desserts and a light conversation flowed through the table, laughter echoing through the room soon after, before Martin yawned hopelessly. Claudine clicked her tongue and finally withdrew herself and Martin from the table, making their way to the kids' room first to ensure that they were asleep. Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other for several minutes, before the former spoke lovingly.

"It felt good to see you laugh like that after so long. The last I think that I remembered see you laugh this way was during Christmas."

"Christmas was pretty special for the two of us."

"It was." Smiling at Ishaani, he asked softly. "How is your ankle?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulders and spoke truthfully.

"Better." Ranveer gave her a sympathetic look.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes, but it does hurt at times." Ranveer gave her a kiss on her forehead. However, his eyes fell over her feet in that moment, which was clad in mocasins, rather than her stilettos.

"I see that you've shed your stilettos."

"The doctor told me not to wear them anymore." Ranveer smiled at her and got up, helping Ishaani alongside. Before Ishaani could walk ahead, Ranveer slowly lifted her in his arms bridal style, while she gave out a gasp of shock, before considerably relaxing into his arms. He carried her over to their room and laid her over the bed, shutting the door behind.

"Where is Timmy?"

"He's off to his kennel. He was feeling quite sleepy today." The image of a yawning Timmy crossed his mind that caused a goofy smile to appear on his face.

"Oh alright." Remembering suddenly about the tests that Ishaani was supposed to have gotten done in the morning, Ranveer asked her quickly. "Did you get your tests done?" Ishaani chuckled at his suspicious tone before she nodded her head.

"Yes." Ranveer's featured relaxed considerably and he gave her an approving nod.

"When will the results come?"

"Most probably after three days."

"Good." Ishaani gave him a broad smile that Ranveer found wriggling its way through his veins. He smiled. "I'll just get freshened up." Ranveer gave her a smile as he entered the washroom, while Ishaani sighed, shutting her eyes briefly. Somehow, between her meditative trance, she heard the door open again, and she pushed open her eyes, to find Ranveer in the same outfit emerge from the washroom, a stick in his hand, while a look of stunned disbelief prevailed on his face.

"What's this?" Ishaani looked at the stick in his hand and gulped unconsciously. Her mind ran furiously, thinking abut whether or not she should tell him the truth, before she sighed.

"It's a home pregnancy stick." Ranveer walked towards her like a zombie, before he plonked beside her, something that Ishaani suspected was more out of shock than his actually reaction. He stuttered.

"It's... it's blue." Ishaani could see the comprehension of what was about to hit him dawn over his features.

"Yes." Ranveer looked at her suddenly, his eyes blazing with a fire she had never seen before.

"What does it mean?" Ishaani gave him a lovingly look before she spoke soulfully.

"I'm pregnant." Ranveer's mouth fell open as he searched for the right words, but failed miserably. He finally managed to speak after a gap of two minutes, even though he knew that he made no sense.

"You're joking." Ishaani shook her head, tears springing in her eyes, a huge smile forming it way on her face. Ranveer's face glowed suddenly, happier than she had ever seen him in her life, before he pulled her face to his own gently, their lips meeting in an elation that they had never felt before, tears and smiled accompanying it alongside. Breaking apart when breath fell short, Ishaani stared at Ranveer tearfully, as he wiped the tears off her face. She did the same for him before she asked nervously.

"So... are you happy?" Ranveer gave her a broad smile, more tears flowing through his eyes before he spoke passionately

"The happiest I've ever been."

* * *

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58: The Circle of Life**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

If the mansion had become a much better place after Ishaani had started living with Ranveer and even better after they had taken it their relationship to the next level, then the mansion was nothing less than heaven in the days that followed. The news of the arrival of the new baby was confirmed by the reports three days later, and an official celebration went about the place.

Claudine and Martin had thrown the couple a small party in celebration of the news and for the next few days, this became the talk of the town. But for once, Ranveer and Ishaani were pleased about their forthcoming new guest to be worried about their privacy and they took pride at the fact that they were going to be parents.

The house portrayed just as colourful a picture, with Martin and Claudine doing their best to make Ishaani's days memorable. But the three new members of the family were just as absorbed with the joy that surrounded the house, with Timmy always running about the place happily, and Fred and George being just as happy spirited. But the couple in mention were the ones where the joy emanated from.

Ishaani and Ranveer both had a newfound glow on their faces, their moods now never knowing darkness or sadness anymore. Ranveer now gave double efforts in making each and every day memorable and special for Ishaani, while the latter took full pleasure. Ishaani's mood swings from prior had suddenly disappeared, and apart from craving for out of the way things, she was surprisingly calm and well-tempered.

But the person who took the news best was Martha. She was nothing short of elated that the couple were expecting their first child and cut down Ishaani's working hours, so that she now had to work only four hours a day.

Ishaani wasn't very happy with the newfound arrangement, but Martha wouldn't take no for an answer. When Ishaani made to argue, Martha simply raised her hand in mock offense and told her that she still had enough strength to handle the library singlehandedly. Ishaani did not take the courage to bring forth any other point from that day onwards and Martha preferred it keep it the same.

The next three weeks passed with easy grace, the same heavenly touch that had bewitched the minds of everyone. April's glorious sun was amongst the prime reasons for Ranveer and Ishaani's excellent spirits, but there was something more.

The fortnight of April saw Ishaani sitting behind the desk after five rounds of the library, panting slightly. Martha gave her a reprimanding look, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"The library is peaceful. There wasn't a need for you to take those many rounds." Ishaani shook her head dejectedly.

"Come now, Martha! It's bad enough that you don't let me work professionally." Martha cocked her eyebrow in question.

"I don't need to remind you about your condition, young woman." Ishaani gritted her teeth irritably.

"Martha, I like taking a tour about the library. It makes me feel at home. Besides, given that you people keep subjecting me to bed rest, taking a walk around the library gives me good exercise as well." Martha gave her a guilty look before speaking hesitantly.

"I know that... it's just... I'm concerned for your health." Ishaani's expressions softened and she spoke understanding.

"I know. And I love you for the love you give me. But-"

"I get a little smothering, I agree." Ishaani smiled at her sweetly before Martha spoke. "How did your appointment go with the doctor?" Ishaani's face brightened at the mention of her appointment.

"It was... magical. Had my first sonography. Ranveer didn't sleep the whole last night because he was thrilled." Martha gave her an endearing look before asking with fascination.

"How is the baby?" Ishaani gave the question a deep thought before replying truthfully.

"Really, really tiny." Martha laughed and Ishaani spoke sheepishly. "The doctor says that it's healthy. It has a strong heartbeat." Martha gave her an approving nod, before stroking her head affectionately.

"What about you?"

"Three weeks ago, the doctor was a little concerned about my health, given that the pregnancy was unplanned for and my body was a little weaker than it should have been. But I've slacked down on most of my activities now, and my vitals are back to normal. The doctor is pretty satisfied now." Martha smiled at her, remembering something suddenly. Her face brightened up suddenly, asking Ishaani eagerly.

"Did you get an image?" Ishaani's face broke out into a huge smile as she nodded her head happily.

"Yes. The doctor says that the baby is growing at a healthy pace so far." Ishaani opened her purse and removed an envelope from it. She handed it over to Martha, who emptied the contents of the envelope, only to reveal the image of the sonogram, where a very tiny fetus was present. Martha stared at the image transfixed, tears forming in her eyes, before Ishaani placed a worried hand over her shoulder. Martha gave her a watery smile and handed over the image to her, before wiping away the tears from her face hastily.

"It really is beautiful." Ishaani stared at Martha's as her emotional turmoil was evident. Her smile was replaced by a frown as she asked her in concern.

"Martha, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ishaani shook her head and gave Martha a meaningful look.

"Please, don't lie to me. What's wrong?" Martha stared at her palms, a tear falling into it, before speaking resentfully.

"It's just... when I was married to David, we always talked about having a child. Fantasized about it rather. Then one fine day, we found out that I could never conceive. We tried treatment, but it didn't worked either. Besides, back then, things weren't like now. It was one of the major reasons why I and David had our fallout. Once we got separated, I did want to adopt a child, but then David passed away, and I fell into a rut. By the time I gathered myself, I found myself incapable of shouldering the responsibility of a child, far less nurturing it."

Ishaani now understood why Martha remained so strict and over-protective around her. She now felt guilty for having told her off several times. Taking her hand in her own, Ishaani asked Martha soulfully.

"Is that why you are so protective about me?" Martha nodded her head, speaking sincerely.

"Yes. You may not understand it now, Ishaani, but a child is the biggest gift a couple can hope for in their marriage, apart from love, trust and honesty. It's what makes the relationship between two people much stronger, yet you shower it over an entirely new life. A half of each of you resides in that new soul and that new soul is your entire universe. You have the world's biggest gift growing within you this moment - make sure that you take full care of it. Promise me that you will." Ishaani smiled at her gently.

"I will." Martha kissed her palm lovingly.

"Good." Just before any more conversation could take place, Ranveer entered the library, a smile on his face. "Oh good, Ranveer is here as well." Ranveer smiled as Ishaani walked up to him, while Martha gave him a warm smile.

"How is work going on, Ranveer?"

"Greece is getting from bad to worse. I've been trying to steer my company away from the way the markets have been drowning, but it's getting really tough now." Martha and Ranveer shared a momentary look of worry, before the latter gave a reassuring nod.

"Don't worry... I'm sure things will be alright soon enough."

"I hope so too." Smiling at Martha broadly, he gave her a small bow, before Ranveer kissed her palm. "I'll take your leave now."

Martha nodded her head and Ranveer smiled at her, simultaneously linking Ishaani's arm in his own. Ishaani stared at Martha for a few moments before she broke herself free from Ranveer's grip and hugged Martha. The latter looked surprised but hugged her back warmly, while Ranveer stared at the two of them curiously. Ishaani broke apart and kissed Martha's cheek affectionately, before walking towards Ranveer, her eyes teary.

Ranveer gave her a concerned look, but she simply shrugged her shoulders. Putting his arm around her in a loving embrace, he led her outside the library and into the car, while Martha waved them goodbye. Ranveer drove the car away for some time before he stopped it in front of the park. Ishaani smiled at him and got down, Ranveer following suit.

Both of them walked towards their favourite bench that remained vacant in the cool shade of a palm tree and took a seat. Ahead of them sat a family consisting of a couple and their two kids. Ranveer and Ishaani interlocked their fingers within each other's as the latter sighed.

"It feels weird at times doesn't it? Seven months ago, you took the first step in our newly based relationship and we became friends. Here we are today, engaged and pregnant with our first kid. Funny, how time changes."

"If you ask me, it isn't weird at all. We fought against time and fate to be united. But if you were to truthfully ask me, it wasn't our time back then. But it's our time right now." Ishaani smiled at him and rested her head over his shoulder.

"All this time, we were the kids, and one fine day, we are parents. Or atleast, we are going to be."

"That's the circle of life."

Just then, a ball came and hit her leg, following which, one of the girls from the family ahead of them and her mother quickly walked up to them and apologized. Ishaani smiled and handed over the ball to the girl. The girl smiled at her and apologized quickly while the mother mouthed a 'Sorry' as well. Ishaani waved her hand to them as the duo walked away steadily, chatting away merrily.

Ishaani stared at them sadly and she felt the grip of Ranveer's hands over her own become stronger. Their eyes met and Ranveer gave her a gentle look, understanding her state of mind.

"Is that why you cried over Martha's shoulder today?" Ishaani nodded her head truthfully. After a few minutes, she contemplated before speaking reluctantly.

"I miss her so much." Ranveer rubbed circles on her back as he spoke gently.

"I know you do." Ishaani remained silent for a few minutes as she felt conflicted. She did not know whether what she wanted to do was rational or crazy, but either way, she knew that she needed to do it. Finally finding her voice after a few minutes, Ishaani asked worriedly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"You always tell me that I'll ask you for anything and you'll give it to me right? As long as it makes me happy?" Ranveer gave her a puzzled look before nodding his head.

"Yes."

"Will you do something for me?" Ranveer now had a curious expression on his face as he signaled her to continue.

"Go on."

"Will you take me home?" Ranveer's brows contracted in confusion as he asked her, bewildered.

"What do you mean?" Ishaani let out a deep sigh before she spoke morosely.

"Seven months ago, you told me that I needed to come back home, that I had strayed away for far too long." Ranveer's features grew turbulent, as part of her implied meaning had begun to grow clearer in his mind. He gave her a scrutinizing look, before giving up.

"I don't understand." Ishaani raised her head from his shoulders, before she looked at him pleadingly.

"I want to go home, Ranveer. I want to go home and meet my mother."

* * *

**Weeee! :D **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos.**


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59: Step to Amends**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

"What?" Ishaani had a decisive look on her face, yet her voice remained gentle.

"I want to meet Maa. Its been four years since I'll seen her, far less heard her voice. I want to see her." Ranveer looked worried and Ishaani could sense his discomfort with her wish. He replied lamely.

"But you're pregnant." Ishaani cocked up her eyebrows in skeptical confusion and Ranveer shook his head, knowing that the conversation was clearly not going the way he expected it to go. Ishaani stared at him keenly before speaking blankly.

"So?" Ranveer sighed before speaking carefully.

"Look, you and Falguni Maa haven't left things on a proper note. I don't want you to stress. It's not good for the baby as well. I don't want anything that distresses you or the baby." Ishaani nodded her head, but her tone remained resolute.

"I understand your concern. I do. But trust me, it's about time we both did this. We both have a lot of amends to make to our families," said Isbaani, while Ranveer looked more distressed by the minute.

"Ishaani..." Ishaani looked up at him and looked at him beseechingly. Ranveer tore his gaze away from her and Ishaani spoke honestly.

"I know. You are scared. Even I am. But we need to do this. We have been pushing this behind fornfar too long. Its about time we faced this and set things right." Ranveer remained loat in thought for a few minutes before he replied with the pnly thing he could fathom.

"I don't know what to say." Ishaani knew that Ranveer was now pondering over her request and rubbed the back of his palm soothingly.

"Just give this a thought. It's all I'm saying. Our families need to know about what's happening in our lives as well and they need to be a part of it."

"If that's the case, why haven't you spoken to Falguni Maa after you resolved things with me?" Ishaani shut her eyes painfully before she spoke with regret.

"I have never denied what I've done four years back. I did it to save you and I was ready to go to all lengths. But in that process, I sacrificed the reputation of our families as well. I jeopardized their wellbeing, state of mind, everything. They are bound to be upset with me. But now that our baby is on the way, I don't want to deprive our child from the love of their family. I don't want our families to be insignificant in it's life. This is important to me, to all of us."

"Ishaani, why don't you see it? undoing everything that we have worked towards so far. And yes, I admit that you screwed up several lives with what you did. You have hurt Baa and Falguni Maa, they have full right to remain upset, but I expected better from your brothers. When you revealed the truth to them, I expected them to behave better than that." Ishaani could see the hurt and anger in Ranveer's expression. She sighed hopelessly.

"Ranveer, let it go. Our lives have all separated by the fork we came across four years back. It doesn't matter now. I just want to set things right with our families." Ranveer gave her an irritated look, hoping that his next point would make Ishaani reconsider her decision.

"What about your father?" Ishaani's hopeful look now changed into a frown.

"What about him?"

"Ishaani, are you ready to face him?" Ishaani looked at him curiously, before she posed a question of her own.

"Why does that matter?"

"Because he has been living with Falguni Maa and Baa. So if you are to meet them, you will have to meet him as well." Ishaani looked at him uncertainly for a moment, before she smiled at him.

"So be it. Now that he has married my mother, I would especially like to have a conversation with him." Ranveer let out a shocked gasp, his face turning a flustered red. Ishaani's smile broadened.

"Wait, who said they married?" Ishaani rolled her eyes at him, and Ranveer coughed awkwardly.

"Ranveer, just because you were smart enough to avoid speaking it out loud, it doesn't mean that I'm stupid enough to not understand it. Maa would never live with a stranger like that, even though it meant her being homeless. I figured out as much. Besides, Maa and him shared a certain rapport, much more like companionship, even when she refused to see eye to eye with him." Ranveer scowled, disappointed that his gimmick was a failure. He spoke in exasperation.

"Yes, they bonded well in the months after you came over her, or after your sentence, as_ Maa_ told me." Ishaani noticed the bitterness in Ranveer's tone at the last part of the statement and sighed.

"Admit it, you just don't want to go home because you resent what happened four years back."

"Don't we all?" Ishaani gave him a deadpan look and Ranveer flinched under her gaze.

"I meant that you resent our families for making it so difficult for us."

"So what if I do?" Ishaani stared at Ranveer intently, noticing some other emotion lurking through his eyes apart from hurt. Realizing what it was a few moments later, she gave him a sympathetic look.

"Wait a minute. That's not just it now, is it?" Ranveer looked confused at the sudden turn of the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"You are guilty to go back home." Ranveer's eyes widened at being caught so off-guard. He stuttered for a few moments before all come-backs failed him. Finally finding the correct set of words, he spoke defensively.

"Did you just hear yourself? You are contradicting what you just said a minute ago." Ishaani shook her head, a meaningful smile on her face.

"No. A minute ago, I spoke half the truth. Now, I spoke the whole truth." Ranveer twitched under her gaze and spoke at his hands angrily.

"How can I resent and be guilty at the same time?"

"You resent it beause the circumstances back then were prtly so difficult because of our families and you resent the fact that they weren't more supportive. But you are guilty on walking out on your family and leaving them the way you did."

"I didn't-"

"Not financially. Emotionally." Ranveer stared at her helplessly, trying to end the argument, irritated that all of his attempts were going futile. Finally having had enough of it, Ranveer spoke plainly, hoping Ishaani got the cue now.

"This argument isn't going anywhere." Ishaani scrutinized his disturbed features and knew that the conversation had killed his mood. She let out a deep breath and nodded her head.

"It isn't. Look, it's completely upon you. Whatever you decide, I'll be fine with it." Ranveer nodded him head and both of them sat silently for the next fifteen minutes. Both of them sat deep in thought, contemplating what the other had spoken, before an ice-cream van crossed their view. Ranveer looked at Ishaani and asked her gently.

"Ice-cream?" Ishaani smiled, looking at the van happily, thankful for a pleasant intervention to cut the silence.

"Yep." Ranveer smiled back again, his features now relaxing smoothly, while asking gently.

"What flavor?"

"Surprise me."

Ranveer smiled and ran behind the ice-cream truck halting it successfully after a few moments. Ishaani stared at the sky as dusk sat across the horizon beautifully, still enough time for the sun to linger around for an hour. Ranveer returned back five minutes later, two cups of ice-cream in his hand. He handed over one to Ishaani while he swiftly took a spoon from his own cup. Ishaani took a spoonful of her own ice-cream before she gave out an appreciative sigh.

"My! This ice-cream is delicious! What flavor is this?" Ranveer smiled at he took another spoonful from the cup, before speaking delightfully.

"It's a mixture of lemon and orange." Ishaani smiled broadly, wondering how Ranveer knew what flavor she wanted to have, while speaking appreciatively.

"It's yum." Ranveer gave her a broad smile, speaking cheekily.

"I know."

* * *

Evening fell quickly after and found Ishaani and Claudine chatting over some news on the TV, while Ranveer was working in the study room. Martin came home soon after, his expression a little pale, but otherwise fine. Claudine and Ishaani looked at him inquisitively as he plopped on the sofa tiredly, his briefcase falling beside him limply. He however, snapped his eyes open a moment later and sprang up from the sofa, as though shocked.

Ishaani rolled her eyes at him and caught Martin's mortified expression, before laughing. Claudine looked confused for a moment before it struck her and she shook her head in exasperation. Martin gave Ishaani a highly embarrassed and hopeless look, and Ishaani sobered down quickly.

"Seriously, Martin? I can't believe you still have this habit of being electrocuted." Martin noticed the sarcasm in Ishaani's tone and shook his head shamefully.

"_Madame_, you mock me." Ishaani now gave him a stern look, speaking not unkindly.

"No, I'm just telling you that if you sit on the sofa after a tired day because it feels at home, there is no need to get stunned as though you have committed a sin. You are now a part of our family and an economic analyst, not a butler, if that's any consolation."

"But _madame_, thats doesn't-"

"Oh Martin, drop it. Your monsieur is stubborn enough without you joining him." Martin smiled at the mention of Ranveer and knew that Ishaani didn't want to pursue the topic any further. He was about to speak when a voice cut through from within the study room.

"Did someone mention me?" Ishaani looked in the direction of the room and yelled back in response.

"Oh yeah, we did. But don't fret, it's nothing important."

"Alright, I'll join you all in a minute." Ishaani rolled her eyes in his direction and both Martin and Claudine smiled, enjoying the better of Ishaani's hormonal changes. Ishaani looked at Martin suddenly, that caused the latter's smile to falter quickly, replacing it with a sober look. She signaled her hands in the direction of the seat he had occupied.

"Yeah. So Martin, relax and sit." Martin took a seat and smiled awkwardly, that made both Claudine and Ishaani smile at Martin's manners. The two women let him relax for a minute or two before Claudine spoke gently.

"As I was about to ask before this whole scene happened, why do you look so worried, _mon_ _cher_? Is everything alright?" Martin looked at her deeply, replying dispiritedly.

"Yes... I mean no. The economy is getting from bad to worse daily. Then there were the riots that broke out in northern Athens today. Things look bad for business and the economy as the whole." Ishaani and Claudine both nodded their heads somberly, before Ishaani took a lead in the conversation.

"Claud and I just saw it on the news. We are talking about it when you came. How is your company doing?" Martin shrugged his shoulders, speaking truthfully.

"It's trying to sail through this, but the suction of the recession is very strong. If things continue the same way for the next three months, the company will have to close its branch over here." Ishaani clasped her hand over her mouth while Claudine stared at him anxiously.

"Good Lord! This is horrible!" Ishaani gave Martin a worried look while the latter smiled at her sadly.

"I'm just hoping for the best now."

"Yeah." Ishaani and Claudine gave Martin a reassuring smile and he nodded at them positively. Martin looked around the place before asking quizzically.

"Where's Timmy?"

"He's with Ranveer."

"And the kids?"

"Napping."

"I'll go meet them and come." Ishaani and Claudine smiled at them happily before Martin made his ay upstairs. The two women stared at each other in concern before Ranveer entered the living, Timmy following him happily. Timmy saw Ishaani sitting on the sofa and leapt happily into her lap, while Ranveer took a seat beside Ishaani.

"What was the din about?" Ishaani smiled, while stroking Timmy's back.

"Nothing much... Martin still hasn't overcome his 'springing up from the couch' fear." Ranveer slapped his hand on his forehead, and Ishaani and Claudine both chuckled.

"Oh boy, I was really hoping that he would have stopped doing this once he got the job." Claudine narrowed her eyes in his decision, her tone now taking on a mock-threatening demeanor.

"Ranveer-" Ranveer raised his hands up in surrender and Claudine smiled.

"Alright, alright. Calm down. But on a serious note, you three were sounding worried. Is everything alright?" Both the women now had a worried look on their face, before Claudine spoke in a perturbed tone.

"Yeah. Martin was talking about the market conditions these days. I didn't know that things had become this bad." Ranveer's expressions faltered, leaving behind a similarly troubled look.

"Trust me... you have no idea." Ishaani looked at Ranveer concerned, while she questioned him optimistically.

"Will things get alright?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders, his expression weary.

"I don't know." Ishaani gave him a tensed look and Ranveer eased up considerably. He took her hand in his own before giving her a determined look. "Don't worry, I promise you that we'll get through this unscathed." Ishaani nodded her head reassuringly and Ranveer smiled. Ishaani set Timmy on the floor and let Ranveer envelope her, while Timmy sought refuge over Claudine's lap now.

"If you say so." Claudine smiled at the couple before she slowly made her way away from the hall, Timmy following her eagerly. Ranveer and Ishaani remained in the same position for some time before the two of them broke apart. Ranveeer smiled at her, looking at her keenly.

"By the way, I haven't given you your gift for today." Ishaani gave him a guilty look as she spoke sincerely.

"Ranveer, you have got to stop pampering me like this." Ranveer pretended like he didn't hear her and Ishaani sighed. Seeing that she was ready for her gift, Ranveer smiled gleefully.

"Well, this gift is a little unusual. But I'm sure that you'll love it." Ishaani gave him a curious look that Ranveer shrugged off nonchalantly.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes." Ishaani looked bewildered, while Ranveer now smiled from ear to ear.

"Well, what is it?" Ranveer smiled and placed an envelope in her hand. Ishaani emptied the contents of the envelope inquisitively and gasped. Out came two tickets and their passports.

"I'm taking you back home tomorrow."

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done finally!. :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60: The Dawn of Graceful Age**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Wednesday saw Ranveer and Ishaani on the flight to Mumbai, leaving behind several worries and heading towards several more.

Even though Ishaani seemed determined at first, but the sudden turn of events had shaken her own will. Both of them had apprehensions building up in the night preceeding their departure but somehow, they couldn't voice it out to each other. Both of hem silently prayed in their hearts that everything would go alright, even though their sould and minds felt captivated by a twisted fear that neither of them could decipher.

Landing in Mumbai eight hours later, both of them had their driver escort them to the mansion, both of their hearts now beating in palpable excitement. Their fear had now reached a new level of anxiety, so that Ishaani could actually feel Ranveer's hand shivering in her own. Both of them remainwd silent for some part of their journey before Ishaani spoke blankly.

"A lot has changed around here in four years." Ranveer chuckled sardonically.

"Well, this isn't the only thing." Ishaani looked at him and gave him a meaningful look before looking out from the window, speaking absent-mindedly.

"Have you informed your family about our arrival?" Ranveer sighed, as he nodded his head.

"Yes." Ishaani gave him an acknowledging look, before twiddling her ring nervously.

"Do Kaka and Kaki live in the mansion?" Ranveer's features now turned into a troubled one, as he spoke guiltily.

"No. They shifted to a flat after I left. They found the mansion lifeless and lonely to live in." Ishaani gave him a distressed look and Ranveer took her hand in his own. After a few minutes, Ishaani asked him curiously.

"How did they receive the news?" Ranveer gave her a meaningful look before he spoke fearfully.

"They were stunned enough. Atleast I know that I'm not the only one fearing this meeting." Ishaani now looked at Ranveer straight in the face, before posing her next question.

"Did you tell them about _our_ news?" Ranveer shook his head, his tone now relapsing back into an anxious one.

"No, I figured that we'll tell our families about it together." Both of them looked at each other and smiled tensely, before Ranveer kissed Ishaani on her forehead.

"It's going to be alright." Ishaani gave him a perturbed look, before praying aloud.

"I hope so."

"I know so." The driver suddenly took a swerve and Ishaani gave Ranveer a confused look.

"Isn't the route supposed to go straight?"

"Yes." Ishaani looked even more bewildered.

"But we aren't going to the mansion first?"

"No, we are making a little detour. I'm taking you to Falguni Maa's place first."

Fifteen minutes later, Ranveer and Ishaani stood outside an apartment door on the second floor, looking about the place uneasily. The driver had taken their luggage to the mansion and was in charge of setting their suitcases in the room. From what Ranveer had let Ishaani know, Amba and Kailash had already made arrangements in the mansion for their smooth accommodation, and all they had to do was convince Ishaani's family to lodge with them in the mansion for the next five days of their trip.

Looking about the place carefully, Ishaani deduced that the society building was well maintained and the flats were just as well kept. Both Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other apprehensively, wondering who would ring the bell first between them. Both of them stood stationary for a few minutes, before Ishaani finally made up her mind and rang the bell.

The door opened half a minute later and Ishaani could have sworn that time had held it's pace. Falguni stood before them, in a beautiful cotton blue saree, her hair in a bun. Ishaani couldn't help but notice that the grays in her mother's hair had certainly become much more, along with the addition of a few wrinkles. A mangalsutra hung from her neck gracefully, while she looked much more at peace than usual, even though there was an aura about her that contradicted her entire look.

Ishaani tried to think of several things but nothing came to her anymore. He tried to smile but only a tear managed to escape her eye. She tried to scan her mother's expressions, deciphering what was going through her mind, but all she could make out was a disbelief, her lips quivering steadily, as though several words wanted to leave her lips, but she couldn't find anything good enough.

Both of them stared at each other oblivious to their surroundings, before Ishaani walked ahead and hugged her mother. Falguni remained stunned for a few moments before her arms wrapped itself around her daughter, and both of them remained in the same position, oblivious of how much time haf passed, only aware of the other's presence and protection. Neither of them cried nor did they speak a single word, yet it felt as though the sun had broken out through a turbulent and stormy night, the dawn of which was going to lead into a beautiful morning.

Separating after an eon, Falguni looked at Ishaani and smiled, and Ishaani felt herself doing the same. There were still several of things to be resolved, but for now, it would do for the two of them. Finally turning her attention towards Ranveer, Falguni smiled a little more easily and latter touched her feet. Falguni smiled as she gave him her blessings and Ranveer gave her a gentle smile.

"You look different." Falguni smiled, while Ranveer gave her a gentle smile.

"Call it the grace of age. You look pretty good yourself, Ranveer. Much better than you did over here." Ranveer shrugged his shoulders modestly, while Ishaani and Falguni both stared at him intently.

"I guess the change of environment worked just as fine for me." Falguni nodded her head before realizing that she had been talking to them at the door.

"Why are the two of you standing out? Come in." Ranveer and Ishaani entered the house, the awkwardness stemming from the first few minutes increasing gradually. The two if them took a seat on the sofa while Falguni sat before them, a small smile on her face. Ranveer and Ishaani looked around the house and smiled, the comfortable aura calming their uneasy nerves.

"It isn't much, but it's home." Ranveer and Ishaani both smiled, while the former now took the lead in the conversation.

"Where is Baa? And Nitin ji?" Falguni smiled, before she spoke calmly.

"Nitin has taken Baa to the temple. They should be back home any minute." The three of them stared at each other silently before Falguni turned towards Ishaani.

"How have you been?" Ishaani gave her a look devoid of any feeling and spoke blankly.

"Alright, I guess. What about you?" Falguni shrugged her shoulders tiredly, her voice carrying the same note.

"Same." Falguni smiled and spoke significantly, her mind at a blank as to how to proceed the conversation.

"It's been so long." Ishaani could hear the bitter regret in her tone and Ishaani sighed, her response only tired than anything else.

"It's been so long."

Ranveer shuffled his hands nervously while Ishaani and Falguni stared into space for the next few minutes, careful enough not to make eye contact with each other. Ranveer already regretted his decision of visiting their families with Ishaani in tow, but he also knew that there was nothinv to be done now but to go with the flow of events.

Before Ranveer could make any further conversation, the doorbell went off, with the spectacular effect of Ishaani and Falguni snapping back into the real world. The latter made a dash for the door as the bell rung for the second time, opening the door swiftly. Nitin noticed Falguni's pale palor and gave her a questioning look before he looked beyond and saw Ranveer and Ishaani sitting over the sofa, staring back at the door nervously. His featured melted into a huge smile, and he walked ahead, happier than he had felt for sometime.

Ishaani couldn't help but notice that Nitin was just the same as she had last seen him, save for the more grays complimenting his otherwise black hair. He looked graceful and a poised mind of wisdom, and Ishaani couldn't help but feel momentarily thrilled to see him, before the bitter truth hit her that he was no longer he mentor; he was also the father she had grown to hate.

But following him entered Baa, who noticed the presence of the two of them and stood in stunned disbelief. Ishaani stared at her uneasily, her reaction not making her any more confident, yet somehow she felt relaxed when Baa's expressions changed into one of pain and guilt, rather than indifference or cold rage. Baa, however, looked just the way that she usually did, yet there was something alight her features that never remained earlier - humility. Ranveer and Ishaani both stood up and walked up to Baa, touching her feet and the latter put her hands on both of their heads.

Ranveer and Ishaani both looked at each other triumphantly for a moment, happy that they did get off to a good start, before heading towards Nitin. Ranveer shook Nitin's hand while the latter did the same, slapping his hand over Ranveer's shoulder affectiontely at the same time, the smile on his face never faltering away.

The moment Ishaani walked up to him, however, Nitin stares at her teary eyed and made to hug her before he noticed the uncertainty in her expression. He quickly made a mid-swerve with his hands and patted her head gently. Ishaani noticed that Nitin's expression had suddenly turned a little disturbed and in that moment, the two of them shared a transparent look and both of them averted their gazes from each other's.

Baa and Nitin took a seat on the chairs while Ranveer and Ishaani sat on the couch again. Falguni disappeared into the kitchen to make them all some breakfast. Baa and Nitin stared at the now highly uncomfortable couple before Baa asked softly.

"I'm happy to see the two of you together again. How did this happen?" Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other awkwardly, before Ranveer answered politely, even though a small smile had crossed his features.

"Long story." Baa nodded her head, the shock of seeing the two least expected people in her house in that moment. Falguni's absence did not make matters easier even though Ranveer and Ishaani were that she must have been listening to the conversation from the kitchen. Seeing as Baa looked incapable to make any more conversation, Nitin took the initiative and addressed his next question directly to Ranveer.

"Where do the two of you stay now?" Ranveer cleared his throat softly before speaking, while Ishaani twiddled the ring on his finger with more vigour.

"In Greece." Nitin nodded his head in a courteous manner, before posing his next question to Ishaani in a concerned manner.

"Why didn't you ever tell us about where you were, Ishaani?" Ishaani gave Nitin a highly flustered look, but before any further discussion could happen, Ranveer jumped in as the saving grace.

"We were both distraught and we needed time away from everything, from everyone. What we did wasn't right, but then again, nobody was that accommodating back then either. Funny, I and Ishaani were both living in the same place for three years, but it was only a year ago that we met. Since then, things have been different altogether."

Nitin and Baa stared at Ranveer unsatisfactorily, and Ranveer knew that his response was less than satisfactory and was more confusing than resolving, but he knew that he wanted to have this conversation with both the families together. Ishaani remained silent during the entire time, hoping for Falguni to re-enter the living room. Somehow, seeing her mother after all those years only made her crave for more and Ishaani felt stupid thinking about the fact that she already missed her even though she was in the other room. Nitin and Baa, in the meanwhile, scrutinized the couple for a few minutes, before Baa spoke in a bewildered yet not in an unkind tone.

"So, what brings you back over here now?" Ranveer took a deep sigh, speaking truthfully.

"We wanted to set things right. We both have finally reached the point where we can look behind at our past and accept it for what it was, rather than play a blame-game. Besides, there is something else that we wanted to talk to you about." Baa nodded her head solemnly, a new curiosity now appearing over her aged features.

"Well, what is it?"

"I and Ishaani will be here for five days. We wanted you, Falguni Maa and Nitin ji to stay with us at the mansion. I've called my parents there as well." Baa and Nitin looked at each other uncomfortably, before Nitin spoke practically.

"Your parents will be there too?"

"Yes." Nitin gave him a deep look, his tone hesitant.

"Is it necessary for us to join you?" Ranveer gave Nitin an understanding look as he nodded his head.

"Yes." Nitin sighed, before speaking in a blank tone.

"Alright. I'll pack up some basic necessary stuff for us to carry along as well."

Falguni joined them again and called all of them on the table for breakfast, with Ranveer and Ishaani giving re-assuring looks throughout their meal, while Falguni, Nitin and Baa stared into their plates guiltily, each heart responsible for a terrible mistake. After several minutes of an icy atmosphere, during which several pleas were made to Ranveer and Ishaani on avoiding to take them to the mansion, of which none were entertained, Falguni cleared off the table, while Nitin went into the rooms and packed up their suitcases.

Back in the car, Ranveer and Ishaani sat ahead, while Falguni, Nitin and Baa sat in a strained silence. After a few minutes, Ranveer spoke softly.

"I've called the others for lunch as well."

"But aren't they all leaving for their trip to Cuba tonight?" said Falguni, while Nitin and Baa nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yes. It's why I'm calling them for lunch." Ranveer and Ishaani sighed. They knew that what they had in mind was a task much more difficult and testing than it seemed to be. They did not know why they loved testing fate as much as fate loved to test them, but either way, it was as thought the three of them were interlinked. Even though Ranveer and Ishaani could not understand how they were to accomplish the impossible feat of opening old wounds and escaping without a scar, there was a strange hope in their heart that maybe, afterall, there was a morning in wait for them.

As the car entered the gates of the mansion, Baa spoke with emotion.

"It's been four years since I last saw the mansion." Ishaani looked at the tall pillar of strength and refuge, before she spoke hoarsely.

"It's been four years since we were last home and all together.

* * *

**Phew! Finally got it done! :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61: The Return of Goddess Laxmi**

* * *

**A/N: Het there everyone! :D :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani stood in front of the threshold, their hands interlocked within each others, their souls shivering. They had finally reached the place where it had all started - the place where life had first given them each other. The house was just as they remembered it to be - tall, graceful, elegant, a pillar or power and strength. Yet the two of them noticed that the house looked like a house, not a home.

Gone were those days where the house echoed with the playful voices of the children and the roots of stemming love. The house was only an empty castle now, standing tall on its strong foundations, but hollow on the inside. The house was quickly made habitable on a short notice and Ranveer and Ishaani were both surprised at the speed with which the affairs were handled.

Sitting on the sofa in the living room were Amba and Kailash, discussing something, and Ishaani felt her heart break. The two people before her eyes were no longer the same ones that she had grown up to known, for they had aged twice as fast as would have normally happened. Kailash sat on the couch with a hunch on his back, his head nearly bald, while his trouble face had more wrinkles over them.

Amba sat beside him, her hair in it's usual bun, yet her face was blank, as though she had never known what it was express. Her features had not aged as much as Kailash's, but she had the same aura of loneliness about her that Kailash gave out.

Ishaani felt Ranveer shudder beside her and she made her grip stronger over his hand. She dared to take a look at him and her heart broke almost instantly, for the pain and shame that had appeared over his features made her heart bleed. Ranveer looked at her, his eyes red and teary and Ishaani shook her head slightly, her eyes pleading him to be strong, even though she didn't feel remotely the same.

The two of them did not realize that Nitin, Falguni and Baa were standing behind them, waiting for them to enter. Both of their minds were lost in the realms of the past where the two people before them had the one thing they didn't have now - happiness. Ranveer and Ishaani did not know for how long they stood like that before Kailash's attention fell over them, and the couple could have sworn that what happened next was nothing short of magic.

The aged features of Kaliash suddenly transformed into one of himself from twenty years ago, as he walked towards Ranveer and Ishaani, a huge smile on his face, tears accompanying it alongside. He walked up to the door where the couple stood, and hugged Ranveer, while the latter held on to his father, crying into his shoulder unabashedly. The father and son spent several minutes doing the same, talking and crying simultaneously, speaking of how much they loved and missed each other, before they broke apart.

Kailash saw Ishaani standing next to Ranveer, her own face tear-stained, and smiled. Ishaani instantly bent to touch his feet, but he caught her arms midway, shaking his head and giving her a bear hug. Ishaani was stunned, for this was the last reaction she expected from the man who she believed hated her just as much, but it felt comforting to be in the arms of the man she once considered her second father. The two of them separated, and Kailash whispered softly.

"Thank you for giving us our son back." Ishaani shook her head, her lips trembling, before Amba appeared at the doorstep. Ishaani felt her breath get restricted in her chest as the memory of her last conversation with the woman kept playing in her mind with unusual clarity, that only made her gulp in fear.

It was now Ranveer's turn to increase the strength of his grip on Ishaani's hand and reassure her that he was by her side. Amba stared at the two of them curiously, eyeing them intently for a few minutes before she sighed tiredly. Ranveer looked at his mother's plight and smiled sadly, and that seemed to have snapped her out from her senses

She brought forward the aarthi ka thaali in her hand and gave the couple a small smile, genuine in it's intent. Ishaani gave her a smile in return and Amba took their aarthi, while throwing flowers and grains over their heads. She put a tilak and tika on their heads respectively and allowed them to take blessings from the lit diya in the thaali, along with handing them over the prasaad.

Amba handed the thaali over to Kailash, while Ranveer and Ishaani both touched her feet. Amba put her hands over their heads, and moved inside, the couple and Ishaani's family following suit. Ishaani and Ranveer heaved a sigh of relief. So far, things were going better than they expected it to go. They both entered the house, a smile growing on their faces as the memories from several years of their lives played before their eyes. The helpers of the house had gotten the luggage from Nitin and had deposited them in the rooms that they would be staying in for the next five nights.

The next three hours passed uneventfully, as Baa, Falguni and Nitin conversed with Amba and Kailash in a courteous manner, that was enough for Ranveer and Ishaani at the moment. Ishaani was initially surprised and taken aback when conversation flowed cordially from both sides, before Ranveer whispered in her ears that Parul and Devarsh's marriage has eased the overly strained relationship between the Parekhs and the Vaghelas.

Just when the house doused itself in a sticky silence, the subject of which were all the members of their families observing the couple keenly, a distraction came in the form of Ishaani's brothers, Parul, and Naina, Prateik's fiancée, and Manas, along with Aditya. An electric banter flew around the air as conversation continued once again, some smooth, others awkward.

Lunch was by far the most awkward time of the day as some family member or the other would stare at Ranveer or Ishaani every now and then, as though they were antique pieces in an exhibition. By the end of lunch, Ishaani's hormonal temper got the better of her and one acid look to Sharman drove him to look into his own plate, everyone else following suit.

The sordid affair of lunch being terminated, everyone gathered into the hall once again, while Ishaani and Ranveer stood before them, nervously staring at several pairs of expectant and guilty eyes.

"So. We are all here today." Everyone gave Ishaani an acknowledging look, their faces suddenly blank. Ishaani took a deep breath and continued. "Ranveer and I are expecting a baby."

The house remained in the same, doused silence, before Kailash sprung up and hugged the couple, kissing them both on their foreheads. Devarsh, Parul, Prateik and Naina followed suit and hugged the couple, Sharman, Manas and Nitin joining them almost instantly. Conversations seemed to stem suddenly yet smoothly, and the next fifteen minutes were as though the four years of estrangement had never happened.

Devarsh, Prateik and Sharman hugged Ishaani, muttering profuse apologies to her continuously, while she only smiled and apologized back in return. The boys turned to Ranveer and did the same, and he smiled back, letting the matter drop altogether, seeing that Ishaani's brothers were genuinely guilty and ashamed of how they had handled the situation four years back.

Manas gave both Ranveer and Ishaani an apologetic look, while they patted his shoulder guiltily. Manas shook his head in understanding and gave them a happy look pointing towards Aditya, who was sitting over Falguni's lap, a bar of chocolate in his hand. Nitin joined next and gave the couple a side hug, his happiness over the news etched over his face, and Ishaani couldn't help but feel the usual essence of euphoria fill her heart up.

Nitin was followed by Parul, who let the boys make amends first before she hugged Ranveer eagerly, telling him how much she missed him and did the same for Ishaani next, her face now a mixture of elation and tears alike. She then introduced Naina to the couple and the three of them conversed for a few minutes before they let the couple have some breathing space.

Baa, Falguni and Amba waited for the din to fade gradually before Falguni and Amba got up and hugged their respective kids, before interchanging and doing the same for the other one, a gentle smile on their faces. Baa got up last, and Ranveer and Ishaani quickly hurried to touch her feet, Amba catching hold of theirs arms as restraints as she raised them upwards.

Baa took of the chain on her neck and made Ishaani wear it, the latter staring at it dumbfounded. Ishaani made to protest, but Baa caught her hand firmly, her eyes conveying the message that no argument was to be entertained. All of the members settled down after five minutes, as Parul looked at the couple and spoke eagerly.

"Bhaiyya, bhabhi, you must tell us!"

"About what?"

"About how the two of you met again, ofcourse!" Ranveer and Ishaani smiled, taking a seat finally, before Ranveer began narrating the story, Ishaani filling in the gaps here and there. The families listened to them attentively, taking in every detail into account, as the couple proceeded with their telling. Everyone gave the couple a gentle smile when Ranveer narrated about the time he proposed to her in the hot air balloon and gasped when Ranveer mentioned about his near fatal accident.

The narration coming to an end after an hour and a half, everyone relaxed back, letting the incidents sink in. The rest of the day passed off smoothly, with the elders retiring to their respective rooms and the youngsters sitting and conversing animatedly. Even though there was certainly a striking awkwardness at times, Ranveer and Ishaani noticed that the latter's brothers were making a genuine effort to set things right with the two of them.

Even though Ranveer did mental grudge the fact that he gave in too easily as compared the notes he had made mentally as to how best he would handle each one of them for hurting Ishaani, he saw that Ishaani looked happier than he had seen her in some time and her happiness ultimately made him ease up.

The lot left at 8 in the night, leaving the house eerily silent with only Ranveer and Ishaani's parents, plus Baa. They segregated together again in the dining room for a quiet dinner, that was peaceful yet slightly unnerving at times. After dessert was served, all of them made their way to their respective rooms, Ranveer and Ishaani sleeping in the room that they always slept in. They quickly emptied their suitcases and arranged their clothes in the cupboard, before they tiredly made their way to bed.

"Wow. The room looks just the same. It might have been yesterday when we last slept here." Ranveer smiled at Ishaani's statement.

"It looks as though we have gone back in time now. Funny, how that happens," said Ranveer, who looked around the room in a nostalgic manner. Ishaani looked at him intently, before speaking in an awestruck tone.

"Today was pretty surreal now, wasn't it?" Ranveer nodded his head, before admitting truthfully.

"It feels like a dream. Any moment I'll wake up and see that we are still in Vari, and Timmy will be barking his head off." Ishaani gave Ranveer a sweet smile before speaking in an understanding tone.

"You really miss them now, don't you?" Ranveer sighed, as he stared at Ishaani soulfully, his eyes have a guilty look in them.

"Yes. You know, it felt so good seeing them all after so long. I'm glad that our families want to give it another shot at making amends and making relationships smooth. But what I didn't realize is that Vari is our home now as well and we have another family back there as well." Ishaani nodded her head while she gave him a reassuring smile. After a few minutes, Ishaani spoke again.

"Did you speak to Kaka and Kaki?"

"Yes. A heartfelt conversation with both of them after lunch." Ishaani gave him a broad smile, her face gleaming with happiness.

"How did it go?"

"Much better than I expected. Infact, it feels like everyone has changed around here in these four years." Both of them gave each other a meaningful look before Ishaani enquired in a concerned tone.

"How has Kaki been holding up?" Ranveer shrugged slowly, his eyes meeting her own transparently.

"Good. I apologized and apologized for being such a miserable son, but she tells me that she was responsible for pushing me to the edge. But otherwise, she and Baba are fine. You know, when I saw them initially, I felt miserable, terrified, of what I'd done to them. But now that I spoke to them, they are better than I expected them to be. And they have been quite accommodating about you as well, too. You've won over Baba's heart long ago truly, but you seemed to have made just as strong of an impact on Maa as well. She even went so far as to say that Goddess Laxmi returned home with your return."

Ishaani stared at him agog, clearly unable to believe what had just been said. It took several minutes for the sentence to sink in before she coughed awkwardly and spoke in an dumbfounded tone.

"Wow... th-that's huge." Ranveer smiled at her and Ishaani asked nervously now. "Were they happy about the baby?" Ranveer couldn't help but smile at the innocent worry with which she asked the question. Ranveer squeezed her hand reassuring.

"Thrilled. Once the shock wore off, Maa was thrilled. So was Baba." Ishaani lied down on the bed, while Ranveer did the same. The latter switched off the lights in the room, dousing it into complete darkness, save for the moon light that streamed in gloriously. The only thing that could be heard was the calm and even breathing of both of them. Ishaani let a few minutes pass by before she spoke plainly.

"We couldn't have wished for anything more."

"I know." Ranveer stroked Ishaani's hair lovingly before he spoke gently. "Did you get a chance to talk with Falguni Maa and Nitin ji?" Ishaani turned her head to the left to see Ranveer smiling at her and she could help but feel her heart flutter as the moonlight streamed over his face beautifully, making his eyes glow an even stronger shade of chocolate. Bringing her mind back to the conversation with great difficulty, she replied.

"No... not yet." Ranveer gave her a smile, as he stroked her cheek.

"No problem. You can have a conversation tomorrow." Ishaani nodded her head and spoke in a meditative tone.

"I was so nervous and anxious. I feel pretty much relaxed now." Ranveer noticed Ishaani fidgeting with her feet restlessly and asked her in a concerned tone.

"Do you want me to give you a feet massage?" Ishaani shut her eyes tiredly, her voice now drowsy as she was on the verge of falling asleep.

"Naah. I think I'll go off to sleep. The jet lag is still pretty strong."

* * *

**This was THE most difficult chapter I've written so far! :( :( It's certainly been a task. And I'm glad that I managed to get this done. :) :)**

**Constructive criticism will claritmore than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62: Temple of Refuge**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani threw the blanket off of her and stared about the room anxiously. Her body ached, while her throat felt parched. She looked towards the bedstand beside her to find the jug empty, and groaned. Taking a painkiller along with her, she got up from the bed, her feet taking her easily towards her destination, even before she was aware about it.

She entered the kitchen and filled the jug, drinking a glass of water immediately, and sighed. As much as she was happy that she was pregnant, there were many moments when it was more pain and testing than enjoyable and today was amongst those days.

Taking the painkiller that she had carried along with her to the kitchen, she yawned softly. Arching her back as her muscles ached her badly, she carried the jug with her and headed towards her room, her mood suddenly in an upheaval. She reached near the staircase, her mind lost in some abstract thought, before she noticed one of the doors on the left-hand side to be open. Curiosity getting the better of her, she walked towards the room and swung open the door. She felt a long sigh escape her lips involuntarily as she realized that she had reached her place of refuge, the place that held thousands of her secrets, thousands of her tears and silent prayers.

She looked around the place and realized that the store room had been cleaned up as well, something that she was thankful for. The room was just the same as she remembered it - large, accommodating and homely. She could get the smell of must, but somehow, it did not bother her. Looking about the room, she saw several boxes lying around the corner and her heart seemed to beat faster.

She set aside the jug on the table nearby and walked around the room, opening some of the boxes. A smile would cross her face every time she saw a familiar thing in them, sweet memories from the gold old days rejuvenating her. She realized that the boxes were still intact from the time when they had vacated the house six years back during her father's death. She now opened some more boxes with more vigour as she found several of her things from the prime time of her youth - boxes, gifts, keepsakes.

She walked over to the one box at the corner of the room and opened it, to find several of her things from her childhood. She stared at it confused, before actually realizing what they were. She empied the contents of the box and skimmed theough the things curiously. Six years ago, those things didnt matter to her for her friend had betrayed her trust that night. But now that life had given them much more to cherish, Ishaani was curious as to what keepsakes Ranveer had kept of hers as a child.

Out came from the box a pink teddy bear, several of her broken clips and pieces of artificial jewellery, along with photos of hers long forgotten. She smiled as she skimmed through them quickly, to find several of the gifts that she had gifted to him as a child on his birthday, and smiled as she remembered how Ranveer would only accept her gifts. Her mind curiously went up to the events of Ranveer's last birthday and she blushed, before bringing her mind back to task.

She racked her brains next as to when and how those things were a part of their lives before she came across a dusty frame. She quickly wiped off the dust with her hand and gasped. The frame contained a photo of herself and Harshad Parekh, both smiling into the frame carelessly, Ishaani's arms around him in a side hug. Ishaani's eyes watered up at the memory of him, her fingers trailing along his face, tears splashing down over the glass of the frame in rapid succession.

She did not know how long she sat staring at that frame before Ishaani felt a pair of arms wrap itself around her and pull her into a warm embrace. Ishaani did not need to look behind to see who it was, for Ranveer's strong pair of arms were answer enough. She took in his scent as she clutched his sweatshirt, the frame falling limply on her lap, while Ranveer kissed her head lovingly, rubbing circles on her back simultaneously.

"It feels like I was over here just yesterday when he passed away, seeking refuge over her once last time before my life changed forever. And here we are today." Ranveer kissed her head lovingly.

"It's alright. It's alright. I'm here. I'm right beside you." Ishaani nodded her head vigorously before speaking in a small voice.

"I miss him so much." Ishaani looked towards Ranveer beseechingly, her face blotchy and her eyes puffy. Ranveer sighed tediously, looking at the frame with a pained expression, his voice now a nostalgic whisper.

"I miss him too." Both of them remained in the same position for several minutes, letting the silence of the store room calm their bout of painful memories and nostalgia. After the pass of half an hour, during which Ishaani half-cried and half hiccoughed, she let Ranveer wipe away the tears from her eyes, and he made her turn around. Ranveer rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone in an affectionate touch and she shut her eyes like an upset child, her tone now a mixture between cross and inquisitive.

"How did you find me?" Ranveer gave her a warm smile, his tone amused.

"When I didn't see you beside me, I grew worried. I came down, but you weren't there. So I guessed you must be here. This place was always your temple of refuge now, wasn't it?" Ishaani nodded her head slowly and Ranveer let her head fall over his chest tiredly. He smiled as the scent of her hair bewitched his mind for a few minutes, his trance broken by Ishaani's statement.

"You saved my life."

"What?" Ranveer gave her an uneasy look as Ishaani raised her head once again from his chest. She spoke significantly.

"You saved me... from the fire. You saved my life." Ranveer stared at her blankly, wondering why Ishaani was bringing this up at the moment, before he understood. He spoke in a surprised tone, but he knew that Ishaani could see right through his soul.

"You knew about that?" Ishaani smiled in exasperation.

"I figured it out long ago. I was stupid enough to believe that Chirag could do something that chivalrous, but then again, you always let people take credit for what you've done." Ranveer gave her a sheepish smile, shrugging his shoulders with resignation.

"I just wanted you to be happy." Ishaani kissed his cheek, her tone loving.

"We are now." Ishaani went back to resting her head over Ranveer's chest and spoke after a few minutes. The latter sighed, as he looked around the room fondly, remembering the times when he was always the shoulder she had to cry upon in times of need. They both sat silently for the next few minutes, letting the events of the day play before their eyes, during which Ranveer spoke in a satiated tone.

"I'm happy that we reconciled with our family today. The happiness on everyone's face was... endearing." Ishaani nodded her head but remained silent. Ranveer knew that she was contemplating something in her mind and surely enough, Ishaani posed her question soon after.

"Can I ask you something?" Raanveer nodded his head, not realizing that his arms had now securely wrapped her in an embrace.

"Sure."

"Is it easy to let go?" Ranveer felt like his breath was stolen away from him, though he did not know why. Snapping himself out of his shock before Ishaani thought that something was wrong, he spoke honestly.

"Not always. Why?" Ishaani hesitated for some time before she sighed irritably and tried to frame her sentence cautiously.

"It's just... you know, everyone today were so... warm and welcoming. It was nice that we sorted things out well. But..." Ranveet smiled in understanding as he saw that Ishaani was seeing this practically.

"It feels silly, doesn't it? Almost unfair? That in the moment that you needed them most, they turned their faces away from you and they welcome you so warmly at a time when you well-established." Ishaani nodded her head shamefully and Ranveer gave her a sympathetic look. Covering her face in her hands, she spoke in self-reproach.

"You know, when I said I want to make amends, I wanted to do this not only for our child, but for the two of us as well, so that tomorrow, when our child demands to know about it's family, we are not guilty or ashamed of anything."

Ranveer could see that Ishaani's hormones were now taking a turn that was disturbing her immensely. But he also knew that she had to speak her mind out for it would eventually gnaw at her mind entirely. He rubbed circles on her back soothingly before he asked meaningfully.

"Easier said than done?" Ishaani groaned helplessly and spoke in a defensive tone now.

"Yes. Its not like I dont love them. I do. Dearly. But its feels... surreal. Its as though it went off too easily compared to the hell we went through four years ago." Ranveer pulled her face to his so that their gazes met. Ranveer gave Ishaani a strong look, now speaking in a heavy tone.

"No. The reason why it feels wrong to you is because you feel that had our families been this sensible all those years back, we wouldn't have had to face the hell that we did. You feel its treacherous on their part to be so welcoming when things are so smooth now."

Ishaani looked at him uncertainly for a moment, wondering whether both of them had had veen knocked silly or whether it was the emotional strain that was getting the better of them. But Ishaani as thankful that Ranveer understood her and she wasn't sounding demented. She looked at him guiltily and she could see him giving her the same look. She sighed.

"Something like that, yes. God, it sounded so stupid when you put it that way." Ranveer trew hid hands up in the air and spoke tiredly.

"I know. The truth does sound stupid and moronic at times, but that doesn't change the fact that it's the truth." Both of them stared at each other uncertainly for a few minutes, partlt revolted that they even felt like that and partly defiant that thy had good reason to feel the same. Time trickled by and Ishaani spoke dejectedly.

"You were right. There is no way we can walk out of this without leaving behind the scars of our old wounds." Ranveer smiled in spite of himself and spoke in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"And I thought you were having the time of your life." Ishaani looked at him before slapping his shoulder in mock irritation.

"Gah! A glass of brandy would have been heaven." Ranveer looked at her sharply and gave her a deadpan look.

"You ain't getting any of that for the next seven months, missy." Ishaani rolled her eyes at him as she let out a cry.

"It doesn't matter! We are talking like a bunch of frustrated drunkards anyway." Ranveer sighed, knowing that Ishaani was frustrated with her own conflicting emotions and her ranging hormones. Before he could say anything, however, Ishaani spoke in an exhausted tone.

"We've forgiven them, but can't forget about it." Ranveer gave her a wisely look.

"These things take time. Eventually, time will heal all wounds." Ishaani nodded her head as she scooted closer to him, letting herself get lost in the basking warmth of his embrace that made her cold, frightened heart melt.

"Its feels so nice in your arms." Ranveer smiled before he gently placed his lips over her own, Ishaani's arms wrapping itself around his neck. He let his lips kiss Ishaani's own ones in a slow yet passionate lock, while Ishaani smiled against his lips, her thumb now brushing against his cheek. Separating after a few minutes, Ranveer smiled, his voice hoarse.

"It certainly does." Ishaani smiled, her mood suddenly changing into a lighter one. Remembering something intriguing, she gave Ranveer a curious look.

"I'm surprised that you didn't tear apart my brothers today." Ranveer gave her a modest look and Ishaani chuckled.

"Well... I didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone when things were smooth." Ishaani gave him a keen look and he returned an innocent one.

"But you didn't spare them entirely now, did you?" Ranveer gave her a non-committal jerk of his head.

"Let's just say that we did have a very_ illuminating_ conversation."

"And can you enlighten me about what _knowledge_ you imparted?" Ranveer smiled from ear to ear and Ishaani could not help but smile.

"Ah, it was nothing much."

"And to think that Sharman, Devarsh and Prateik left the house with mortified expressions on their faces." Ranveer gave her a notorious smirk and Ishaani smiled in spite of herself.

"Well, a little bit of threatening did go into it, if that's what you want to know." Ishaani gave him a deadpan look, her tone a mock threatening.

"What I want to know is that what did you tell my brothers."

"I told them that if they were the reason for another drop of tear leaving your eye, I would make sure to rip them apart from limb to limb and make them pay hell for the same." Ishaani blushed slightly, seeing the passion in his eyes, before she controlled herself quickly, bringing her mind back to task.

"What did they say?"

"They kinda chuckled at first but them saw my face and lets just say that it smacked the smiles off their faces. And while I had the chance, I gave them a piece of advice as well." Ishaani's expressions turned into a curious one, while he gave her a plain look.

"Did you now?" Ranveer nodded his head, before he spoke with a finality in his voice.

"Yes. I told them that as much as they are enjoying their 'space' away from their families, they ought to pay more attention to them as well." Ishaani smiled, admiring the loyalty and love that Ranveer held in his heart in spite of all he felt. She kissed him again before speaking sweetly.

"Well, you've got a point." Ranveer looked surprised but gave her a warm smile.

"They thought so two. Apparently, the two of us have drowned our families in guilt from what they tell me." Ishaani gave Ranveer an uncomfortable look, her tone indicating the same.

"Well, it's not like this was entirely our fault." Ranveer nodded his head and the two of them spent some more time in silence. The clocked chimed three times from somewhere and it snapped the couple back into reality. Ishaani looked at Ranveer sleepily and Ranveer smiled. He got up and carried Ishaani into his arms, bridal style, and took her up into their room. He tucked her in comfortably and she smiled at him, half asleep already. He made to get up from her side before Ishaani caught his wrist strongly. Ranveer looked confused, while he sat back down by her side, waiting for Ishaani to speak.

"Thank you."

"For?" Ishaani smiled at him, her eyes almost shut, as she spoke sleepily.

"Being you." Ranveer kissed her on her forehead, before whispering back to an already-asleep Ishaani.

"Always."

Getting up quickly, Ranveer made his way back to the store room to bring back the jug that he noticed was kept on the table. Quickly clearing up the mess in the store room and arranging the items back into their respective boxes, Ranveer shut the door to the store room and came back to the room. Setting the jug beside Ishaani's bedside, he gave a small smile to the now peacefully asleep Ishaani, sleep claiming him just as easily even before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

**Weeee! :D **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :) :)**


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63: The Love of a Father**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani woke up the next morning, her body much more comfortable over the soft mattress and pillows. She looked around to find the room empty, and sighed. She looked at the clock, gasping as she realized that it was already 11 in the morning.

Hurrying into the washroom, she freshened up and quickly changed herself out of her nightdress into a comfortable pair of a blouse and pantaloons. She sat back on the bed, suddenly craving more sleep, before a doorknock ensued.

Nitin stood by the doorframe, a smile on his face and Ishaani felt embarrassed. She nodded at him in permission and entered inside, setting the tray down in front of her. She smiled, noticing how all the dishes were her favourite before looking at Nitin gratefully.

"You didn't have to take so much trouble for me." Nitin gave her an exasperated look before he spoke not unkindly.

"Ishaani, no formalities with me, please. Enjoy your breakfast." Nitin smiled at her walked towards the door before Ishaani spoke swiftly.

"Wait!" Nitin turned back and look confused and Ishaani gave him a flustered look. "I mean, I need to talk to you." Nitin gave her a painful smile.

"I figured as much." Nitin came inside the room and sat on the couch near the window. "Eat your breakfast," Ishaani made to speak but Nitin continued quickly. "Don't worry, I'm right here." Ishaani sighed and ate her breakfast silently, while Nitin shut his eyes, resting his head back on the couch. She finished her breakfast ten minutes later, and luckily for her, Mala passed by the corridor at the precise moment and took the tray away to the kitchen graciously.

Ishaani came back and settled on the bed once again and Nitin sighed.

"Tell me, what did you want to talk to me about?" Ishaani gave him a uncertain look before she plunged into the conversation.

"I know who you are." Nitin gave her a sad smile, voice now almost weighing with resignation.

"Then this meeting will be the first for both of us."

"What do you mean?" said Ishaani, her voice laced with confusion. Nitin sighed and continued.

"This is the first time we will be talking as a father and daughter, not just figuratively, but literally." Ishaani nodded her head in understanding, wondering where this conversation would take them.

"Yes... Ranveer told me everything." Nitin gave Ishaani a deep, contemplating look.

"Is there anything to talk about, then?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," spoke Ishaani quickly, afraid that the conversation was not going to have the desired result she hoped for.

"Ishaani, if you are hoping for an apology, you know that you are not getting it. What I did was far much worse than apologizing." Ishaani stared at him intently, wondering how to go about with it, her heart finally overtaking her mind. She spoke honestly.

"I don't want an apology, I just want to know why." Nitin smiled at her ruefully, his next rhetorical statement bearing self-contempt.

"Why I abandoned you and your mother?" Ishaani nodded her head and Nitin let out a breath. "Because I was a fool. I sought fame and success much more than a family. Falguni and myself were madly in love, we wanted to get married. Her family opposed, so we eloped. But as much as Falguni was carefree and oblivious to the real world, I wanted to make a name for myself. I did not have time to invest into a family. Two months into our marriage and Falguni told me that she was pregnant. I panicked. I was in for getting a promotion and I had to decide. I chose my career. I was a coward, leaving behind nothing more than a note."

Ishaani nodded her head, shooting out her next question even before she realized.

"Why did the world tag me illegitimate?" Nitin spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, but Ishaani could sense the guilt and reproach in his voice.

"It is because we never were married in the eyes of the law. Falguni and I got married in a temple. My boss back then was a woman and was looking out for an unmarried employee to make it to become the CEO of the company. She believed married men had no vision. So I asked Falguni to keep our marriage a secret till after my promotion, for it was definite. She agreed. But given the fiasco, we never were in need to file for a divorce because we weren't married as per the law."

"But then you changed." It was more of a reminder than even a blankly put statement. Nitin smiled at her appreciatively.

"I did. Funny enough, it was you who changed me." Ishaani gave him a bewildered look before she remembered one of the several guilty secrets that Nitin had entrusted to her back during the time the two of them spent several hours together at the park or at Shikhar's house.

"When you said you saw your daughter in the park and that hit you hard. That was me." Nitin smiled at the shocked look on her face and he spoke calmly, his mind lost in the memory of the incident.

"Yes. It was 5 years after Falguni and I split. I reached the peak of my success and did very well. One day, I had to meet one of my old friends into the park, and he was late by half an hour. I was just looking around all the families in the park when I saw Falguni and a five-year old version of you. You were playing on the slides and swings, yet you were lost and distant. And then you asked for me. Throughout the time, looking at all the fathers playing with their kids, you asked for me. And there I was, standing so close to you, yet I was mortified. I could no longer breathe, realizing what I had done. I could not come back to you and Falguni, for your mother was a woman who would never lose her self-respect and take me back. I was the reason for her public humiliation. I was ashamed to say the least to even stand in her shadows."

"And you gave away everything." There was a certain awe in Ishaani's voice and Nitin squirmed uncomfortably.

"No, I threw it away. After spending the next and perhaps the worst seven days of my life, during which all I think I did was consume unhealthy amount of alcohol and drown myself in same and guilt, I realized that it wasn't worth it. I gave away most of my money to charities and I quit my job. I needed time to think, to figure out. But in those months to follow, I only knew that I had to be your invisible benefactor. I tried to be there for you in all ways possible, if not physically or emotionally, then financially. I still had enough to sustain me a lifetime and the next generation to follow as well and I decided to use it for your well-being. That was until Falguni met Harshad Parekh."

"How did you find out about them?" Ishaani's question was instantaneous and Nitin let his lips curve in spite of himself.

"One of my friends were an associate at Harshad Parekh's firm. At that time, Falguni was in a dire need of a job and there was no way I could help her directly. I gave Falguni's reference through him and Harshad gave her a job. But then, a year and a half later, I come to know that Falguni and Harshad Parekh were getting married. I was shocked, disturbed, until I did a baclground check on him. I didn't want Falguni to go through the same ordeal she had to go through with me. Turns out, Harshad loves her more than anything in this world. She was to get a family and you were to get a father to accepted you so warmly and affectionately as his own. I was happy."

Nitin nodded his head and Ishaani continued for him.

"And all those years, you got yourself a decent job. One where you were content and satisfied and you stayed away from our lives, knowing that Papa was there, yet you did keep tabs on us." Seeing that Ishaani remembered his confessions much more clearly than he had expected her to, be shrugged tiredly.

"Yes, I had to know. But everything was going about perfectly. Falguni found out about my invisible role in your life a few months post her marriage and she was furious. She made me swear to your life that I would never return back or cause an upheavel in it. I was forced to oblige. I moved abroad a month or two later, only to return back six years ago. I occasionally called out friends in the country to find out about how you all were doing and each time, I had satisfactory answers."

Ishaani now looked at him curiously, wondering whether she should ask what she had in mind. Nitin spotted the perturbed look on her face and gave her a reassuring nod. Ishaani now questioned in a meek voice.

"I've been curious all along and you never told me either. What made you re-enter our lives? What made you meet Papa on that Diwali night?" Nitin didn't look offended or uncomfortable even in the slightest with her question and answered it truthfully.

"I returned back from France four months before Diwali because I was tired and needed a break. However, soon after coming here, I knew that the markets had entered a depression in those three months prior to Diwali. I also knew that Harshad Parekh had nearly gone broke because of all his investments sinking. I went to offer him help. I also knew that you had just gotten engaged and that you were to get married in a month's time. I was ready to help him solve financial matters so that it didn't affect you or your marriage in any way. I think you know what happened next."

"Where were you after Papa died?" Her tone had a childish demand in it and he sighed.

"Out and around. I knew that his bank accounts and properties were frozen post his death. You all were helpless, lost, confused. I resumed my role as your invisible benefactor, for I could not break my promise to Falguni. Ranveer took over my role from me once he was that financially capable. The two of you met two years later and circumstances forced you to get married to him. He decided to bring me back into your life. I was apprehensive, even reluctant, but he wouldn't hear of anything. And well, you know what happened."

Ishaani nodded her head swiftly, her mind steadily relaxing. After a peaceful silence if a few minutes, Ishaani questioned once again.

"What about Maa?" Nitin had a shrewd understanding of the implied meaning of her statement and spoke plainly.

"Just because Falguni refused to acknowledge your existence, it didn't mean that she did not care. Just like I was there for you when you were broken and lost, your mother was the same. Once you left without letting me know where you had gone, I only had Shikhar's assurance that you were alright. Then their own internal disputes took place and Baa and Falguni were homeless once again. Your mother had been strong for too long. She crumbled. I only helped her collect the broken pieces of her will and frame it together. I gave her a shoulder to cry on."

"Ranveer tells me that you let her stay at your place." Nitin nodded his head in agreement.

"She knew that she was no longer young enough to make a new start all over again with the additional load of another family member. In those few months post your marriage, I and Falguni had managed to see past our history. The same thing happened. And one fine day, I ask her whether she would marry me and she said yes. Yes because she had found a friend in me and because she was too weak to pull on any further. Baa was reluctant with this arrangement at first, but she complied nonetheless."

Ishaani sighed, as she leaned her aching back against the soft pillows behind her. Nitin looked at her lovingly and she smiled, a tear escaping her eye treacherously. Nitin gave her a look of concern, but she wiped away the stray tear, her voice now slightly shaky.

"Somewhere deep down, I always knew that the two of us shared a much deeper relationship than a father-figure and daughter-figure. When Ranveer told me the truth, I felt... surprised. Yet it did not shock me." Nitin looked nervous and guilty, deciding that it was best to speak his heart out like old times.

"I thought would cut me out from your life." Ishaani's eyes widened and she shook her head vehemently. Nitin sighed, while Ishaani took her time to compose herself. Accomplishing the feat after a testing few minutes, she spoke with a mixture of honestly and resignation.

"You know, every time you mentioned your daughter and your wife and how much you repented every day as to what you had put them through, it reminded me of my father. And I knew that I would give you a second chance, every time I saw you genuinely repent. Because I had made the same mistakes as you. I abandoned my husband when he needed me the most, even though our reasons were different. I new what it meant like to yearn for a second chance. You were the only one who gave it to me, and you were the only one who ever made me consider forgiving my father."

Nitin's eyes widened and he stuttered in disbelief, his eyes searching Ishaani's own ones for a sign betraying her implied meaning.

"What are you trying to say?" Ishaani shrugged her shoulders.

"Before Ranveer told me that you were my biological father, he had once asked me whether I could ever forgive him for what he put us through. I did not give him the truth, but I would have forgiven him. Then he asked me the same question once he told me the truth, and that made me reconsider. But my answer still remains the same."

"I don't-"

"I forgive you. For I have seen you repent before my eyes every, single day. I know that you know the true impact of your action. Maa saw your redemption as well. She wouldn't have married you otherwise. So my answer is yes."

Nitin sat stunned for several minutes before he got up and came to sit next to Ishaani. He stared at her blankly, before tears formed and welled up in his eyes, as he hugged her. Ishaani smiled and hugged him back, her heart lighter than it had been in months, before they separated.

Nitin looked stunned, but remained silent. Ishaani smiled, her own inhibitions about her decision fading away and the respect and affection she had for him over the past four years returning swiftly into her heart. Nitin looked up after a few minutes of silence, before he looked up and spoke in a strong admittance, a firm belief in his voice.

"But your father will always be Harshad Parekh and nothing will change that." Ishaani smiled at him gently and he couldn't help but do the same.

"You were always the closest I had to a father once he passed away and you still are. You cannot replace him, but your spot in my heart will remain the same. Nothing will change that." Nitin smiled at her and gave her a hug and she did the same. Nitin stroked her cheek lovingly and kissed her forehead.

Ranveer stood outside the door, a broad smile over his features. He sighed lightly, as his heart had been set free finally and he saw Ishaani and Nitin talk easily. He shut his eyes in worship, as he whispered to himself soulfully.

"I did it, Mota Babuji. I finally accomplished your last wish."

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done finally!. :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64: Conplexity of Knotted Ties**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The next two days passed uneventfully, with Ranveer and Ishaani getting sufficient time with each other, taking care of their heath just the same. Amba and Kailash made sure that Ishaani remained comfortably tucked up in her room when she was tired or feeling ill and Falguni and Nitin made sure to take care of her needs and wishes, while Ranveer was showered with just as much affection.

Ishaani and Falguni sat in the latter's room, Ishaani sitting on the floor cross-legged while Falguni sat above her on the bed, massaging her scalp, oiling her hair. Ishaani shut her eyes in meditation as her mother's hands worked magic and transported her into a peaceful world. She did not know how much time had passed before Falguni's voice cut through, breaking her trance.

"What?" Ishaani turned around to look at Falguni, her expression bewildered.

"What?"

"You just asked me something."

"Did I?" Falguni smiled at Ishaani as the latter did the same and gave her a sheepish look.

"Went back into your meditative world now, didn't you?"

"Sorry," Ishaani shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her original position. Falguni continued massaging her head while Ishaani sat deep in thought, putting forth her question after a few minutes. "So out of curiosity, what did I ask you?"

"You asked me why I didn't ever respond to any of your letters."

"Oh." Falguni finished her massage and Ishaani got up, taking her seat beside Falguni now. The latter simply stared at her hands.

"It's strange, really. I had almost lost hope that you would ever return back to me."

"I had too." Mother and daughter met gaze and both stood their ground, one imploring, and the other exploring. Falguni shook her head in shame as she spoke in self-contempt.

"I was angry for the first four months. My peak was when I sent you the only letter saying that I would only forgive you if Ranveer did. You never wrote back to me after that. At first, I remained indifferent, but when I didn't hear from you for the next year, I was worried. Yet I was mortified to send you a letter, lest I never got a reply. You were strong enough to bear rejection, I had already had a lifetime of it."

"I sent you a letter seven months back," said Ishaani, whose voice now held a defiance.

"And I got a hope. I had been living a dead life in those three years before I got your letter. But I realized that I had failed you as a mother. I did not have the courage to apologize for I was afraid that you would not acknowledge me. Hypocrite I was, not brave like you were to fend life like you did. But I knew that you were alright, because Ranveer was there with you. I trusted him to care for you and catch you."

"I never wrote to you after my last letter because I believed that I was dead for you. And maybe we had drifted apart too far." Falguni nodded her head while Ishaani gulped slowly, the heaviness of her heart slowly abating.

"I hadn't spoken to Ranveer in a year and half because both of us had changed numbers and had lost each other's contact. Then again, I was too ashamed to write back to you. I knew that I had lost my right long ago."

"We were both stupid." Falguni could hear the reprimanding tone in her voice and agreed.

"Yes, we were both stupid. I, more so that you."

"I had no right jeopardizing the reputation of our families."

"And I had no right to be a fiend with you and cut you out."

"And ignore my existence for four years." Falguni looked at Ishaani as she could hear the childish unhappiness in her voice.

"And that, yes." Ishaani looked at her, her disapproval melting away into a sympathetic look. Falguni let out a deep breath and spoke. "I'm sorry. Even though I know that I'm way past it."

"Maa... I'm sorry too. We both made mistakes in the past, let's leave it at that." Falguni gave her a side hug and Ishaani took in the flowery scent of her mother that always comforted her heart.

"And you still want me to be a part of your child's life. You and Ranveer are the strangest people I have ever met. You can scorch the world with your love yet you don't let it burn and seethe your heart."

"Maa, its water under the bridge or over the dam, whichever way you take it. So let it go. I and Ranveer want all of you to be a part of our angel's life. Let the past be in the past and let us just live in the future."

"We will be a part of your baby's life as well as yours and Ranveer's. But our distance is alright." Ishaani looked at Falguni curiously.

"What do you mean?" Falguni gave her a meaningful look and spoke to her lovingly.

"The two of you have a happy life in Greece. Don't abandon it for us. We will exchange visits twice or thrice in a year, but don't abandon it. The two of you are much happier in your lives without us." Ishaani shook her head as Falguni separated herself and got up, leaving the room with the bowl of oil in her hand, leaving Ishaani behind on the bed. Ishaani looked at the place where her mother stood moments ago, whispering in a frightened voice.

"I don't know, Maa... I don't know."

* * *

Ishaani's conversation with Falguni had both its positive and negative impacts on the former in the next three days. As much as she was happy that she and her mother were back on talking terms and were warm with each other, she couldn't help but ponder about the way her mother kept implying about maintaining their distance.

After a torturous four hours of trying to figure out what her mother meant by that, she gave up and recounted the entire incident to Ranveer. He had the same look of uneasiness over his features that Ishaani had been sporting, while he twiddled with the ring over his finger anxiously.

Letting some moments pass by, Ranveer sighed and spoke slowly.

"It's funny that Falguni Maa told you the same thing. I just had a conversation with Maa and she had the same opinion about it. She made it pretty evident that she did not want family interference to screw up our relationship or our life back in Vari."

"What do you think is up with them?"

"Goodness alone knows. Do you think this has anything got to do with Parul and Devarsh?"

"I have no clue. But this is certainly weird." Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other suspicious looks before the latter spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Did you ever intend to move back over here once things got sorted out?" Ranveer gave Ishaani an uneasy look before shaking his head.

"Not really, no. What about you?"

"I don't think so. You know, our roots are here, our families are here, but... I've never felt true happiness ever before than in Vari, with Martin, Claud and Martha. I don't mind coming back over here, as long as you are with me, I'm home. But Vari has become my life now as well."

"It has become mine as well." Ishaani let out a frustrated sigh.

"God, why can't our life ever go smoothly?! Our families are reconciled with us and yet we are still unhappy! Gah, you were right! This is a blasted situation that we have gotten ourselves into."

"Honey, don't fret. It's going to be alright."

But Ranveer knew that things weren't going to resolve so easily for they are now dealing with the delicate task of unwinding the knots in their relationships with their families. His own conflict about considering whether to settle back with his family or continue staying in Vari had him considerably irritated and irked for it now spoke about his own duties as a son to his parents.

But if things weren't strange enough for the couple, Baa's visit to their room on the fifth day of their stay freaking both of them out a tad bit.

Ranveer and Ishaani were on the bed, Ranveer's head on the latter's lap, as Ishaani stroked his hair lovingly. Ranveer had a goofy smile on his face, his eyes shut in tranquility. Ishaani looked at him mischievously, biting her lips in anticipation. She did not understand why she felt so wild in that moment, and Ranveer's poise wasn't helping her either.

She smiled notoriously as she bent below and rubbed her nose against Ranveer's while placing her lips upside down over Ranveer's own ones, gently sucking over his lips. Ranveer's eyes flew up, taken by surprise, before he relaxed against her touch and reciprocated the kiss, his hand finding his way into Ishaani's hair. Breaking apart after a few minutes of raunchy kissing, Ranveer and Ishaani both sat up, taking in large amounts of air. Ranveer's cheeks burned red by being caught off-guard so suddenly, while Ishaani smiled with a satisfied smirk.

"That was..." Ishaani could only blush in response and Ranveer kissed her nose gently. "This pregnancy has turned you into a wild cat. It makes you so much more desirable."

"It makes you even more inviting than usual for me as well." Ishaani bit her lower lip while Ranveer winked at her in response.

"And you are getting masterful with that upside-down kissing of yours. It's pretty much your signature move, but that doesn't make it less fanciable."

"Really? I never thought of it as my signature move, but given that we are talking about it, care to demonstrate what your signature move is?" Ranveer gave her a sensuous smirk, his voice now taking over a husky tone.

"With pleasure." Ranveer pulled Ishaani's face to his own, their noses brushing against each other's slowly. Ishaani shut her eyes while she titled her head, Ranveer smiling alluringly. His traced his finger over the bottom of her lip painfully slow, and she shivered, only making Ranveer smile more. Ranveer shut his eyes as he titled his head, their breathing now hoarse, the painful wait only making the moment more tantalizing. Ranveer's lips brushed against hers in a tease, yet slow enough as Ishaani managed to capture his lips with her own, pushing him flat on the bed, she gently lying on top of him.

Ranveer smiled as he freed his lips from Ishaani's own ones and moved artfully over to the crux of her neck. Ishaani moaned his name softly and both of them opened their eyes in that moment, Ranveer raising his head, both of them now giving each other an inviting look. He had barely reached for her neck again before a sharp rapping of the door popped the bubble of their sweet moment, snapping Ranveer and Ishaani back into their senses.

Ranveer looked at the door reproachfully as he quickly set his ruffled hair alright, Ishaani doing the same. Both of them took a moment to compose themselves, patting their cheeks that were filled with colour from their recent encounter, before Ranveer said 'Come in' hoarsely.

Baa entered the room, a worried expression on her face. Ranveer and Ishaani were surprised to see her for she barely left her room in those five days. Ranveer and Ishaani quickly got up and made her sit on the couch, while she looked at them solemnly.

"What happened, Baa? Is everything alright?" Baa looked a little frenzied in the couple's opinion, and sure enough, when she spoke, the couple's fears with confirmed.

"The two of you shouldn't have come back."

"What do you mean?" Ranveer and Ishaani questioned in unison, their tone almost accusatory.

"We don't deserve to be a part of your lives. We lost that right four years ago."

"Baa, it's in the past. Leave it." Baa gave a pained look to Ranveer, now speaking with a tired tone.

"No. I cannot. All my life, I have ill-treated you. Seen you as nothing but a servant and treated you as one as well. I was the reason why your parents went to jail twice and why they bore humiliation at my hands countless amount of times. All my life, I have tagged you as illegitimate. I never considered you as a part of this family. I disliked your mother and never let her live happily. Yet the first thing that the two of you do when you see me is touch my feet. Why?"

"Because you are older to us and we respect you." Baa shook her head in reproach and Ranveer recoiled slightly.

"And you forgave us all with the blink of your eye. Tell me, Ranveer, will you ever be able to forget what we did to the two of you? How we were the cause of your pain and misery? Will an apology suffice? Because if it does, I'm sorry." Baa joined her hands in front of the couple and Ranveer and Ishaani quickly rushed to hold her hand.

"Baa, please-" Baa gave Ishaani a harried look.

"Ishaani, let me speak. The two of you are big-hearted. You can forgive anyone and see the good in people that they don't have. The two of you are ready to give us all second chances. But do we deserve it?"

"Baa, what's in the past is in the past." Baa looked at Ranveer beseechingly.

"Then let us be in your past. Don't tag us as your future as well. We have ruined your life once by our greed and intentions. Don't let us do it again. The two of you are happy off in Vari."

"We didn't-"

"Don't take me wrong, Ranveer. But I can barely meet eyes with the two of you. I live each day in the guilt of how inhumane I have been with you both and what my insolence has cost you. I don't want to shadow the life of your child as well. Infact, it's not only my view, but the view of your family as well, Ranveer. We are happy for the two of you and we want you to remain the same. Give your child a better life."

Baa patted Ranveer's and Ishaani's cheek before she left the room, leaving behind the couple in a stunned trance. They knew that no matter how much they denied it, there was a lot of truth in what Baa spoke. Kailash and Amba had given the same set of advices to Ranveer that Nitin and Falguni had given Ishaani and Baa was the seal in that moment. Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other a bewildered look before they shrugged their shoulders, sitting back on the bed lost in thought.

* * *

They did not mention the topic again between themselves and the sixth morning dawned along with a new guest - Shikhar. Ishaani had just descended from the steps when she saw Shikhar sitting on the sofa, a glass of water in her hand. She smiled broadly and covered the distance in a matter of seconds, as she gave him a bear hug. Shikhar smiled and hugged her back, patting her back affectionately.

"You look stunning! And congratulations! Nitin ji just told me!" Ishaani beamed at him, her face alight with happiness.

"Thank you so much! You look pretty amazing yourself! Looks like business is flourishing!"

"Oh yes, it is. So, where is Ranveer?" Ishaani looked towards the staircase and saw Ranveer descending from it, a bewildered look on his face at the sight of Shikhar. Ishaani beckoned him to descend quicker, and Ranveer found himself standing beside them in a matter of seconds. Hanging over Ranveer's arm, Ishaani smiled.

"Ranveer, this is Shikhar. Shikhar, this is my husband, Ranveer." The two men shook their hands warmly and gave each other pleasant smiles. Ishaani headed to the dining room, while Ranveer and Shikhar stood where they were, Ranveer now having a grateful look on his face.

"Thank you, Shikhar. For keeping her alive and for being such a good friend to her." Shikhar gave Ranveer a humble look and patted his shoulder in a friendly way.

"Don't thank me, Ranveer. I'm happy that the two of you fought through all odds and managed to work your relationship. Congratulations to you once again."

"Thank you. Please, join us for breakfast."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I've to head for an important meeting. I just stopped by because I heard that the two of you were here. It was really a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure was all mine." Giving Shikhar a side hug, Ranveer called Ishaani to greet him goodbye. Bidding him a gentle farewell, the two of them saw him out to his car and returned back into the house. The whole day went off considerably well, with Ishaani and Ranveer having anew topic of discussion and the former telling the latter quite a lot of amusing stories about Shikhar.

And before the two of them knew it, the seventh and final day of their trip arrived, along with a very depressing and somber atmosphere in the house. It was evident that despite the types of advices that the couple had received, nobody was happy about their departure either. Amba and Falguni managed to cook the couple a heartwarming lunch before the two of them left for the airport.

Having their lunch quickly while trying to abate the atmosphere with light conversation, the time of departure neared soon enough. Their bags packed with eatables and keepsakes from their families, along with clothes and some more paraphernalia for the to-be child, Nitin had got the driver to get the suitcases in the car, while Falguni and Baa stood teary-eyed.

Kailash had just as much of a morose expression over his face, but Amba stood out from the crowd, her eyes strangely alive. Ranveer and Ishaani bid tearful farewells with all the members of the family, promising them to return soon to visit them again and asking them to come over to their place sometime as well. Ranveer and Ishaani were about to leave the house, before Amba's voice cut through.

"Wait!" Ranveer and Ishaani turned back, while Amba gave the couple a desperate look. Ranveer look questioningly, Ishaani curious. Amba spoke slowly, weighed an unknown urgency in every word.

"Ishaani, can I talk to you for two minutes?"

* * *

**Phew! This is was quite the mélange. :) :)**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65: Harmonious Acceptances**

* * *

**A/N: Het there everyone! :D :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani nodded her head and Amba led her into the store room. Shutting the door behind her, Amba gave Ishaani a small smile but Ishaani looked worried.

"Kaki, is everything alright?" Amba shrugged her shoulders and Ishaani felt her heart break. She walked over and hugged Amba, and the latter did the same, now tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. For putting you through so much misery." Ishaani gave her a sympathetic look.

"Kaki, please don't embarrass me. I've been telling this to everyone as well, please let the past be the past." Amba sniffed slowly, getting a grip over herself. She now spoke in a gentle voice.

"How can I ever thank you?" Ishaani look bewildered.

"Thank you for what, Kaki?"

"For giving my son a new life." Ishaani smiled, while admitting truthfully.

"Kaki, Ranveer gave me a new life as well."

"You could have easily steered him away, forbidden him from ever returning back here, but you didn't." Ishaani looked a little surprised, but immediately replied.

"Kaki, I would never do anything like that. The two of us have had our differences but I would never let it impact Ranveer's relationship with you." Amba looked at Ishaani, contemplating whether or not she should say what she was about to say, before she decided in favour of it.

"You know, even when you were a child, I always refused to see eye to eye with you because I was afraid. Afraid that you were the center of my son's universe. I was afraid that you would never love him the way he does and my son would never be the same man the day you rejected him." Ishaani nodded her head in understanding, while her eyes now danced with a little glint as she thought about what Ranveer meant to her.

"I always loved Ranveer as a friend. But it was only when life gave me the chance to be his partner that I realized how much I always loved him otherwise." Amba looked ashamed of herself as she admitted the next statement.

"I tagged you as illegitimate because I always believed that you would be the cause of my son's misery."

"I cannot say that you are entirely wrong." Ishaani gave her an apologetic and shameful look, but Amba now looked firm.

"No, I was wrong. You were never the reason of his unhappiness, you are the reason of his liveliness. A fact that I had refused to acknowledge in my ignorance and arrogance."

"Kaki, you love Ranveer more than anything else in the world. You wanted to protect him."

"Funny how that turned out. I ended up becoming the biggest enemy of his life."

"Kaki, you were right in your own way. I did jeopardize the well-being and name of our family in our society without having my facts correct." Amba looked at the genuine twinkle in her eyes and now spoke in a graceful tone.

"Ishaani, all my life, I have hidden my dislike for you under various guises, but all I want to tell you today is that I have the utmost respect for you as a person and I believe that there is no one better suited for my son than you are." Ishaani blushed furiously, while she struggled to find for words.

"Kaki, please don't make me-"

"Shhh. I am not saying this to cover up for my mistakes, but because I genuinely mean it. I was a little miffed when I found out about you six months back, but it faded away just as soon. People may not recognize the value of your sacrifice, but rare are those women who can sacrifice their lives so carelessly for the person they love. You are a woman of extraordinary value, Ishaani. Always remain the way you are." Ishaani gave Amba a tearful look, before she nodded her head vigorously.

"I promise." Amba smiled at her genially, taking Ishaani's hand in her own.

"Today, I am giving you my son as rightfully yours. Take care of him and love him always." Ishaani looked startled for a minute before her features relaxed and she nodded her head even more strongly.

"I promise." Amba gave her an approving nod, continuing her list of wishes.

"And make sure that you care and love your child and give him the same upbringing as Ranveer's Mota Babuji has given the two of you." Ishaani couldn't help but smile from ear-to-ear, as Amba did the same.

"Don't worry, Kaki, we will."

"And take my word of advice. Vari has given the two of you a new life, a new family - love it with all your heart. Don't abandon it." Ishaani nodded her head and Amba gave her a satisfactory nod. Giving her a hug once again, Amba kissed her forehead. "It's time to say goodbye." Ishaani shook her head slowly, now speaking in a meaningful tone.

"Kaki, it's not goodbye. Not really."

* * *

Ten hours later saw Ranveer and Ishaani outside their mansion in Vari, the two of them waiting outside for the door to open. Before Ishaani could tap her feet impatiently, the door swung open and Martin stood at the door, a radiant smile on his face.

Ishaani gave him a huge smile and threw herself over him in a bear hug, Martin getting caught off-guard, while he now patted her head in a mixture of embarrassment and shock. Breaking apart, Martin smiled at Ishaani happily, the latter smiling back the same way, before Ranveer gave Martin a big hug as well.

"_Monsieur, madame_! How we have all missed you!"

"We've missed you too, Martin, we both have missed all of you as well."

The helpers took their bags inside just as Claudine appeared beside Martin, with an overexcited Timmy in her arms. Timmy barked wildly as Ishaani took him inti her arms, the dog trying to lick her eagerly. Passing the overexcited puppy back to Ranveer, Ishaani gave Claudine a similar bear hug, Claudine a much better recipient to it.

Timmy jumped from Ranveer's arms and returned to Martin's heels as Ranveer gave Claudine a warm hug, Ishaani smiling at them merrily. The four of them entered the house and crashed over the sofa. Ranveer and Ishaani letting out a mixture of tired sighs and yawns, Martin doing the same.

Claudine clicked her tongue and told Martin to go to bed, stating that all conversations could happen the next morning, for it was a holiday. Martin stifled two more yawns painfully before he retired to bed, a little disgruntled at not getting to spend time with the couple.

Claudine quickly redirected Ranveer and Ishaani to the dining room, where dinner sat on the table in wait for them. The couple tucked in happily, as Claudine caught hold of a wriggling Timmy, who was making a fuss to sleep in his kennel. Ishaani smiled at the puppy, speaking gently.

"Claud, let him be. He can sleep in our room tonight." Timmy seemed to have understood instantly what Ishaani meant to say, for the next moment, he abruptly stopped barking and managed to jump out from Claudine's arms, making a dash towards Ranveer and Ishaani's room. Claudine shook her head in exasperation.

"Atleast the poor soul is happy. He looked so morose with the two of you away last week." Ishaani gave an emotional look towards the direction where Timmy darted to, speaking heavily.

"We missed you all loads." Claudine smiled, and Ranveer and Ishaani gave her a warm smile. Finishing their dinner after twenty minutes, both Ranveer and Ishaani yawned sleepily, the warm atmosphere of the house working like a charm over them. The two of them made their way up the staircase lazily on Claudine's insistence, the food now warming them up considerably and befuddling their minds, throwing everything else out from it.

The two of them quickly changed into their sleeping clothes and crashed to bed, Ishaani making sure not to trudge over Timmy, who blended perfectly with the rug below. Both of them did not even have the strength to whisper a goodbye and before they both knew it, the two of them fell asleep, the lamps of their room still on.

Next morning dawned considerably late in Ranveer and Ishaani's opinion as their eight-hour sleep felt equivalent to that of atleast fourteen hours. Meeting Martin and Claudine at the breakfast table, both of them tucked in as well, the peaceful silence of the house endearing. As much as they loved returning back to the Parekh mansion, Ranveer and Ishaani soon realized that the mansion back in India lacked the one thing that this mansion had in abundance - love.

Chatting heartily over the table as jams, bread and cheese passed around swiftly, Ranveer and Ishaani were in for a special surprise when Martha came along half an hour later, after all the four of them were done with breakfast. Hugs and kisses went around the place and everybody settled down soon, Ranveer and Ishaani immediately plunging back into the incidents of the past seven days.

Martin, Claudine and Martha had a pleasant smile on their faces throughout the narration, their yes flowing with emotion. Once Ishaani retold about her conversation with Amba, Martha spoke in a soothing voice.

"You've been so brave, sweetheart. Both of you." Ishaani and Ranveer both heaved a sigh, before Ishaani admitted truthfully.

"It was certainly mental on our part when I go to think about it. If a single thing would have gone wrong, it would have pushed Ranveer and myself back by several steps." Ishaani gave Ranveer a petrified look and Ranveer put his arm around her shoulder, trying to ease away the thoughts about how bad it could have gone.

"But the end point is that atleast our child will be getting the love of our families as well." Ranveer gave Ishaani a re-assuring smile while the latter nodded her head. She now turned her attention towards Martin, speaking in a curious voice.

"So tell us, how has Vari been all these days?" All the three of them shared worried looks, Martin now speaking tensely.

"_Madame_, as unfortunate as it is, it has been bad." Ishaani gave him a worried look, but before she could mention anything further, Ranveer continued the conversation.

"I saw the headlines yesterday about a massive riot breaking out Northern Athens. Said that it was the third city to have massive riots breaking out in a week." Martin gave Ranveer a grim look and nodded.

"Yes, monsieur. It's pretty tense right now." All the four of them sat silently before Martha took the initiative to continue the conversation.

"Yeah, it's why we pulled the Summer Fair behind to next week from the fifteenth of next month. Better get this done before more trouble strikes. The fair is luckily in Southern Athens and it's just a day's work. Gone in the morning and back by 9 in the night." Ranveer gave Martha an unsure look and Ishaani knew what was coming their way judging by Ranveer's expressions.

"Martha, are you sure it's a good idea to keep a fair during such troubled times?" Martha shrugged her shoulders.

"I wanted to call it off but I was outvoted. Besides, I would have attended the fair myself, excusing Ishaani, but I have to attend another fair in Vouliagmeni." Martha gave Ranveer an apologetic look and he looked a little surprised.

"Wait, this is the same one that Ishaani has to attend?" Martha nodded her head and Ishaani gave Ranveer a tense look.

"Yes." Ranveer's face suddenly look stern and he spoke with finality.

"Well, she is not going." Ishaani gave Ranveer an outraged look, clearly infuriated in spite of banking on his reactions.

"Ranveer!" Ranveer gave Ishaani a stony look and spoke with the same tone.

"Ishaani, I won't hear anything. First of all, it's dangerous. A riot just broke out in Athens three days back and I won't take any chances, especially when you are-"

"Ranveer, nothing is going to happen. Trust me. Besides, Neapolitan City has been the sole, major contributor since the library was founded. We cannot back out now, not after we just saved the library." Ranveer rolled his eyes at her, knowing the fact that Ishaani would think of a thousand ways to try and convince him. Before she could say anything more, however, Ranveer had made up his mind.

"Fine, then I am coming with you." Ishaani opened her mouth to retort, but shut it half-way through seeing the dangerous look on his face. She spoke in an exasperated tone.

"Ranveer, you are being stupid now." Ranveer cocked his eyebrow at her in a skeptical glare.

"I'm being practical." Ishaani threw her hands up in the air, looking at Martha, Claudine and Martin for support, but no one dared to speak anything, seeing that Ranveer looked incensed. Ishaani glared at Ranveer, but gave up on it almost instantly, seeing that it rubbed no effect over him. On the contrary, he looked more determined. She hastily hurried into speech, before Ranveer could have another change of mind.

"Ugh, fine! Given that you are the trustee, it won't hurt for you to accompany me." Ranveer gave her an uncertain look, his anger fading away instantly, only for it to be replaced with a fearful look.

"I still think that it's a very bad idea." Ishaani understood in that moment what was running through Ranveer's mind and now squeezed his hand in turn as a sign of reassurance.

"Ranveer, trust me, you're overthinking this." Shaking his head dejectedly, he whispered to himself, mentally hoping that there was no type of pattern forming.

"I only pray that I do not regret this."

* * *

**Phew! :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will claritmore than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66: The Beginning of the End**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The next week passed just as uneventfully. After the breaking out of three riots, thing had become reasonably calm, and Ranveer's initial panic had subsided considerably. Although the markets were steadily getting from bad to worse with every passing day, the losses that Ranveer was suffering was getting more than compensated with the branches he had in other parts of the world, and that made him breathe a little easier, even though he remained worried about the position of the Vari branch.

Progressing now into her ninth week of pregnancy, Ishaani remained perfectly alright in all aspects except for her mood. Even though Ranveer knew the perfect knack to handle all her different kinds of mood swings, he could not deny that she got a little more challenging in that week. Her mood changed several times in a day, from chirpy to silent, from nostalgic to aloof. However, the doctors were happy enough with her vitals and said that the child had a very strong heartbeat.

Ranveer entered the room to find Ishaani sitting on the bed, reading the handwritten copy that Ranveer had just updated and given to her four days back. He leaned against the doorframe and admired the entire effect of the room, and the way it made Ishaani look luminescent. Ishaani had dimmed the lights of the room, so that the mahogany furniture looked black, the white rug around complementing the look beautifully.

But the effect that made the room look heavenly were a cluster of star-studded lights that covered the wall behind their bed, stretching right over to the ceiling, covering it partially. The moonlight streamed in from the window, and Ishaani looked nothing less than an angel in Ranveer's opinion.

"Liking it so far?" Ishaani looked up from the book and smiled, as Ranveer now sat beside her. She spoke in an awestruck tone.

"Loving it. When did you learn to write so well?" Ranveer shrugged his shoulders, speaking modestly.

"I didn't. I just write from my heart." Ishaani put the bookmark back into the book, marking the page she left off at, before turning the attention to Ranveer once again.

"Touché. You know, when I read this, it feels like I'm reading about two different people entirely." Ranveer couldn't help but laugh at the truth in her statement, and Ishaani did the same. Catching his breath in a few minutes, Ranveer spoke in a breathless voice.

"It feels like that now, doesn't it?" Ishaani smiled, her gaze now deep. She spoke now in a dazed voice.

"I completed one year of my job at the library three weeks back. If you would have asked me back then where I saw myself a year later, I would have said drowning in a deeper pit of loneliness and aloofness." Ranveer gave her a sympathetic look, as he pulled her into his arms. Ishaani let the sweetness of his scent overcome her senses, while his voice echoed the same sentiment.

"One year is a lot of time." Ishaani looked up at him, a curious smile on her face.

"It certainly is. We rewrote our story, achieved the goals of our relationship, and saved it from breaking. We faced death, had arguments, took our relationship to the next level, got a dog, became godparents, got a new family and now we have a baby on the way. The cherry on the cake being the fact that we reconciled with our families as well." Ranveer looked overwhelmed for the moment as it took his sometime to register all the events that had happened with them, as Ishaani counted them off her fingers meticulously. Overcoming the pleasant surprise of the variety of things that they'd been through, Ranveer gave her an impressed look.

"Well, to add to the list, we had amazing birthdays, an amazing Christmas, New Year and Valentine's Day. We had an out-of-the-world trip to Vegas and we are engaged to be married again!" Ishaani gave him a glowing smile, now speaking in a reverential tone.

"It sounds so perfect, doesn't it?" Ranveer understood what she truly meant to say, and Ranveer shook his head in amusement.

"Heavens knows it wasn't." Ishaani nodded her head, as she now spoke in a terrified whisper.

"Sometimes, I feel so scared; that it's just all a dream and any moment, I'll wake up and be thrown into that same depressing life." Ranveer gave her a fearful look for a moment that quickly flitted back to a more positive and determined one.

"Well, it's about time we have a normal life." Ishaani nodded her head like an eager child and Ranveer beamed. Ishaani continued.

"As foreign as the feeling feels of being sane and happy, I really like being like this." Ranveer kissed her forehead affectionately, as he admired their rings twinkling in the moonlight streaming into the room.

"I couldn't agree more." Ishaani looked at her palms in prayer, and spoke in a gratified tone.

"Life is certainly good without surprises."

"Without creepy and unexpectedly horrible surprises," corrected Ranveer, and Ishaani shrugged her shoulders in a carefree manner.

"True, the good ones are endearing." Both of them sighed and shut their eyes, feeling the calm, peaceful atmosphere of the room ensnare their senses. Ranveer did not know for how long he had Ishaani in his arms, before he spoke anxiously.

"So, do you really want to go for the fair on Sunday?" Ishaani looked at him, her eyes now wide, while she sighed and admitted truthfully.

"Yes, I do. A year back, I left my career at its peak because for once, I wanted to do something that I actually liked. And I did. And now that I have the chance to make a career in something I love doing, I don't want to miss out on it. Our angel will be consuming all my time once it's out into the world and I don't know whether I'll have such a good opportunity again." Ranveer eyes her keenly, weighing out the options in his head, now speaking in an enquiring tone.

"It really means that much to you?" Ishaani nodded her head and Ranveer smiled. "Then it's decided. We are going."

* * *

Three days later, Ishaani stood in front of the mirror, looking at her attire doubtfully. Ranveer, wearing a chocolate-brown shirt and cream trouser, looked up at her from the coffee table, and whistled slowly.

"Whoa! Don't you look stunning now?" Ishaani stood before the mirror in a light, collared apple green dress that flowed freely below her knees. The length of her sleeves ran up to three-fourth of her arm, while the upper part of her dress had rich, golden buttons. Ishaani had tied her hair into a pony tail, while wearing only a pair of emerald earrings that complemented her attire beautifully. She turned herself around to check all the aspects of her dress, conscious of her appearance. She gave Ranveer an unsure look, who was in turn rolling his eyes at her antics.

"I don't know... I mean, the dress doesn't look too free now, does it? Although I love its apple green shade, but still."

"Honey, you look beautiful. That's that." Ishaani gave him a sweet smile through the reflection of the mirror and Ranveer winked at her. Ishaani blushed crimson and Ranveer smirked mischievously.

"Shall we?" Ishaani put in her straw hat that complemented her dress beautifully. Linking her arm with Ranveer's, the couple descended from the staircase, the bright sun entering the house making them glow as well. Martin and Claudine looked at the couple and smiled, while Timmy looked at them morosely.

"Now don't you look stunning?"

"I told her the same thing." A nudge in the ribs and Ranveer winced painfully. Ishaani bent and picked Timmy in her arms, who barked half-heartedly.

"Relax. We'll be back before you know it. Don't you worry." Ishaani kissed the top of Timmy's head and handed him over to Martin.

"Madame, monsieur, do have a safe journey. Madame, I will be making your favourite mushroom soup that you are most partial to." Ishaani smiled and Ranveer patted Martin's back.

"Don't worry, I'll remain in touch with the two of you. We should be back before 8." Martin nodded his head and Ishaani hugged him, doing the same with Claudine. Claudine, in turn, kissed both Ishaani and Ranveer on their cheeks and the two of them left the mansion, waving away merrily at the other couple, Timmy now staring at them sadly.

Ranveer and Ishaani made it to Athens within an hour and fifteen minutes, the sun now merrily shining and a pleasant breeze alongside. Getting off at the venue, that was a square larger than where they had hosted the Aubergine Book Fair, Ranveer and Ishaani made their way around to their stall, stopping by to meet most of the board members, who couldn't help but admire how radiant Ishaani looked and how the two of them complemented each other well enough.

The fair this time was twice as large as the one back in Vari and was considerably more challenging to keep up with. People came in flocks of thousands and the fair buzzed with animated activity, the book fair having seen a mass crowd, the highest in seven years. People seemed happy and carefree and the thoughts about anything offhand had no chance to creep its way into anyone's mind, electric as the atmosphere was.

Ranveer and Ishaani were both responsible for managing the book stall at the fair, as big as almost a quarter of the library back at Vari. Books changed hands swiftly; knowledge imparting just the same.

Noon passed off in the same manner, the fair at its peak hours now, the buzzing and chatter if people and excited children only energizing the atmosphere. Rides and game stalls were used generously, sweet and food stalls just the same. Ranveer and Ishaani felt considerably refreshed and rejuvenated, happily enjoying the lazy atmosphere overhead.

Finally shutting their stall at 4 for they had gotten all sold out, Ranveer and Ishaani now became a part of the excited crowd, visiting stalls and helping themselves to candy floss sticks. They roamed hand in hand, as they remembered about their trip to Adventuredome in Vegas.

They smiled goofily at each other as their surrounding was filled with a strange liveliness that infected them just the same, infusing the same spirit in their veins. Ranveer and Ishaani finally decided to call it a day at 6 in the evening, after Ishaani declared that she was tired to do any further walking.

Their journey back was pleasant, as dusk was on its way, and Ishaani could see the rapidly changing colours of the sky. Ranveer managed to drive them back into Vari via the Highway 52, and Vari looked just as serene, compared to the hustle bustle of the city. The two of them had barely entered the suburb when Ishaani spoke in a hypnotized tone.

"Ranveer, I want to see the sunset by the lake." Ranveer looked beside him to see Ishaani staring about at the window, as the sun dazzled gorgeously in the sky, which was now a powerful mix of yellow, orange, red and pink.

"Alright. The dusk looks beautiful and besides, we haven't been to the lake in a very long time." Ishaani smiled at him and Ranveer now drove the car in the direction on the lake. Parking the car at a distance, Ranveer and Ishaani walked over the dewy grass that felt crisp under their feet. Both of them freed themselves of their footwear and now walked barefoot, as the felt the supple water tickle beneath their feet.

Ranveer and Ishaani reached the banks of the lake where a pair of magnificent swans, stretching their broad wings and paddling their way across the stream gracefully. The two of them smiled as they sat down and observed the swans, before Ranveer spoke lightly.

"Looks like we are not the only couple enjoying the sunset." Ishaani smiled as she laid down on her bank, Ranveer doing the same, while admiring the nature and the sky above them that made for a heavenly combination. They could hear the sweet voices of the birds singing around and the two of them felt tranquil, lost in a meditative trance.

Ishaani and Ranveer saw the sky continuously blending in more shaded of colours, at the sun began its descend towards the horizon, leaving behind an orange glow in the sky, as shades of indigo and navy were making its way alongside. The two of them stared around at the peace that Mother Nature provided them, as they cradled in her lap.

The two of them raised themselves from the ground after some time, even though the breathtaking beauty of the past few hours that bowled them of all their senses. They saw the two swans fly away into the skies, along with several of the birds who had finished their last songs for the day. Ranveer and Ishaani stared idly at the water that reflected the colours of the sky and sighed.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

Ranveer removed his phone to see an incoming call from his associate, Mr. Rodgers, and sighed. Ishaani smiled at him sweetly, and nodded her head in ascent to answer the call. She knew that Ranveer was a little irritated at the interruption of his blissful recreation, and sure enough, when Ranveer got up and walked along some distance for better signal connectivity, she could hear the resentment in his voice, even though he had now crossed her line of vision.

She stared about the place, before she realized that she was thirsty. Cursing her luck for not bringing along their water bottle, Ishaani got up and decided to make a quick dash to the car and back, knowing that she would be easily back before Ranveer's conversation on the phone came to an end. She was about to yell out to Ranveer and tell the same, but realized that the call was important, given that his voice had suddenly turned grave. Sighing, she began her walk towards the car.

* * *

Ranveer returned back to their spot half an hour later, his face reflecting the worry that bubbled in his heart. The conversation with Mr. Rodgers had been anything but delightful, the main point of conversation being that the Greece markets were shut for a week and that a humongous riot had broken out in the triple districts of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, and that all people were advised to remain indoors until conditions had become more stable.

Mr. Rodger's call was followed by that of Martin's, who had called to inform him about the same, the call getting cut halfway as the battery in Ranveer's phone failed. As he made his walk back to their spot, Ranveer made a mental note to borrow Ishaani's phone and continue the conversation, before he remembered that she hadn't carried her phone either.

Ranveer's heart however skipped a beat when he saw that Ishaani was no longer sitting over there. The last rays of sunlight were now dying into the horizon and the darkness that approached brought about a twisted fear in the pit of his stomach. He had not had a view of Ishaani in that half an hour on his phone and he felt alarmed at her not being there.

He now called out her name aloud several times, but no response came. Feeling a lump of panic now rise in his throat, he quickly made a dash towards the car, praying in his heart that everything was alright, before his feet came to an abrupt halt. Ishaani stood in front of him, staring at him blankly and Ranveer heaved a sigh of relief.

However, his sigh got constricted halfway as he took in Ishaani's appearance. He felt a brink drop in his stomach, and he filled the gap between the two of them and felt like he was going to faint. Ishaani looked worse for wear with her sleeves torn from several places, bruises visible on her arms and legs, her lip bleeding. Ishaani's hair now hung loosely from where it was tied, strands of hair standing out awkwardly, while she missed an earring. Her face looked pale and gaunt, her lips constantly shivering, her face containing dried tear-tracks.

Ranveer barely managed to choke out any words as a stinging tear left his eyes. The two of them made eye contact with each other for the minutest of second, before Ishaani let out half a breath, her knees buckling, and she collapsed into Ranveer's arms. He had barely managed to break her fall before his hand fell over her back, which felt wet. Making her lie over the grass quickly, he called out her name several times, but in vain.

Freeing away his hand from behind her back quickly, he was about to pat her face when his arm froze midway. Ranveer felt his heart stop as he saw his hand stained red. His eyes bulging frantically, he quickly turned Ishaani over her side, to ensure that she wasn't wounded and that he got the blood from somewhere else.

Ranveer could have sworn that his heart had forgotten to beat in the moment he saw a huge red stained was at the back of her dress, a slit cut at the center of it.

* * *

**I finally got this update done! No throwing anything at me for this though, this show has thrown enough of nonsense at me already. **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :) :)**


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67: When Calamity Strikes**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ranveer couldn't describe what happened to him in those next few hours before everything else turned into a smouldering, burning mass in front of his eyes, engulfing him in a deathly warp of fire, smoke finding its way faster into his lungs that he could exhale. He could not, even in his wildest of imaginations, imagine how a beautiful day could have such a terrible and fiendish end, or rather, prove to be the end of his life.

Patting Ishaani's face had brought no result whatsoever. He rushed towards the bank of the river and cupped his hands, running back instantly so that by the time he reached, he had sufficient water in his hands to sprinkle over Ishaani's face. Doing the same, Ishaani wrinkled her eyes and groaned inaudibly, and Ranveer felt his madly beating heart relax a tad bit.

He pulled Ishaani into his arms and hugged her, his body and soul shivering alike, as he could feel her body heaving against his own. Kissing her over her forehead lovingly, whispering words of love and relief together, he separated her from himself gently. He saw that she was still unconscious, but alive atleast. He picked her up in his arms and hurried towards the car, praying against all odds that he could manage to get Ishaani to a hospital.

How exactly Ishaani came to be in the condition that she was right now, he couldn't fathom, but the only thing that rang in his minds like a warning bell was the sole word 'riots'. Cursing his luck as to why they couldn't have headed home hours ago, he could only pray that he could get her to medical help as soon as he could. His world now seemed fused into a mixture of fear and panic, Ishaani's condition only making his hold on her stronger, afraid that she would be snatched away from his any moment.

When he reached his car, a gasp escaped his lips as he saw the vehicle, the glass of the windows broken and the windshield cracked. The backdoor of the car remained open along with a fallen water bottle, and blood drops were strewn across here and there. Ranveer saw a huge shard of glass broken below stained with blood, and he got his answer. He looked inside the car and thanked his luck that the backseat did not have glass shards strewn on its seat.

Making Ishaani lie down, but making sure to have his handkerchief covering her bleeding wound, Ranveer rushed to the front and cleared his seat of the glass, piercing his palms at more than one place, but it didn't matter to him. Shutting his eyes as he turned on the engine, he thanked the Lord that it started in the first go and rammed at the accelerator.

He had barely made a swerve in the next lane when he met the most horrible sight of his life. A group of atleast 30-40 people stood in a mass, hurling stones and fire-lit torches in their hands, chanting and singing the same tagline. Two of the commercial complexes were set afire, while mayhem reigned. Ranveer knew that there was no way he could get himself or Ishaani out from the route without getting themselves killed.

He also knew that it was the sole and easiest route that would take him straight to the hospital, but now it seemed like a remote idea. Making up his mind quickly, he decided to take the alternate route that came out straight at Priamou Street, and heading back home would be way easier. Ranveer knew that Claudine had the necessary equipment to provide a temporary first aid to Ishaani and he knew that it was their best shot.

Ranveer did not know how many cuts and swerves he took in the next forty minutes, so frantic and focused his mind was at the same time. Ranveer realized that there were several sects at different parts of the district that were protesting and there was more than one place that had fires breaking out. Ranveer could distantly see the hospital during one of his sudden manic turns to avoid another group of frenzied protesters, and thanked his stars that he didn't head for the hospital, since the area were in fumes of smoke.

He tried switching on his cellphone, but to no avail. He could not understand why he couldn't find his charger in the car and regretted to his dearest of taking Ishaani's request into consideration. He did not know whether he was angriest with himself or Ishaani, but he knew it could wait, for they had to still encounter hell before they made it out.

He could not understand why life couldn't ever let them have a perfect moment, never let them have an easy life. It was as though fate and death had an unhealthy obsession in ruining their lives, and Ranveer couldn't feel more resentful. He knew that he was ready to fight fate and death together with love and emerge victorious, but his mind was burdened with so many worries that he felt giddy.

His world felt as though it had crashed to his feet, the bubble of happiness and perfection bursting instantly. It was as though Ranveer's fear had sprung to life; the only uncertainty that he had no control over - death. He felt his heart froth with a twisted concoction of agony suffocate him, his world spiraling out from his hand, not knowing what would happen a minute later.

The only think that kept Ranveer's panic at bay, however, was Ishaani's breathing, along with an occasional cough every now and then. He only kept praying in his heart that God would swap places, that the Almighty would let him stand in front of Ishaani's share of troubles and pain, and would let him fight death on his own and spare Ishaani and let her escape unscathed. No sooner had Ranveer prayed this in his heart than when he heard a soft, weak voice.

"Ranveer..." Ranveer looked behind to see Ishaani's eyes open and heaved a long sigh of shaky relief, elated at the fact that her eyes were open. He looked back at her with a frantic glance and saw her looking around the car in bewilderment, before their eyes met. She looked at him, pain clearly evident on her face, and he felt hope bumps erupt over his skin. He spoke in a soft voice.

"Sun... Sunny, it's going to be alright, I'm going to get you help." Ishaani looked at him silently, as a tear escaped her eye. She replied in a weak and hoarse voice.

"I'm sorry." Ranveer hit the break as he waited for another group of rioters to fade away into the opposite direction and he turned behind, tears now escaping his eyes.

"What for, honey?" Silence. Ranveer looked at Ishaani fearfully, feeling almost sick, before he called out her name twice or thrice. When she didn't respond, Ranveer felt his heart thumping harshly against his ribs and was about to get down, when she coughed. He heaved a sigh of relief again as Ishaani opened her eyes, and sighed.

"For getting us into this mess." Ranveer shook his head, as tears left his eyes finally, as he let himself break down in front of her. Ishaani ran her hand over his head in a reassuring touch, and he shut his eyes, trying very hard not to be sick. He opened his eyes after some time, now composed again, and gave Ishaani a reassuring nod. He was shaken and pale, but he knew what had to be done.

His heart still felt heavy, but a strange assurance washed over him as well. But with it, came a new realization. He noticed that the surroundings looks overly similar to him, and on scrutinizing closely, he realized that they had reached 13, Priamou Street, the library now in front of their eyes. Ranveer laughed uneasily, as he turned around and saw Ishaani trying to prop herself straight over the seat.

Ranveer quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the backseat, helping a now nearly successful Ishaani to sit up on the seat. Ranveer heaved a sigh of relief, as Ishaani didn't look as bad as she had when she first collapsed in his arms, and on checking her back closely, he realized that it had already stopped bleeding.

Ranveer quickly brought her a bottle of water that was in the dickey of the car, and made her drink it. She coughed a little, but drank the water thirstily, nodded her head in thanks when she was done with it. Ranveer cupped her cheeks lovingly in his hand and asked her anxiously.

"How are you feeling right now?"

"Light-headed." Ranveer stroked her cheek lovingly and spoke in a firm voice.

"We're almost there, sweetheart, we're nearly home. Don't go to sleep yet, we are almost there. Keep... keep talking to me." Ranveer looked at Ishaani as her eye-lids were already drooping and he knew that it was quite a feat when she tried keeping her eyes open, even though it looked like her body was protesting otherwise. Ranveer had barely managed to collect his thoughts before a huge explosion occurred, deafening both of them.

Neapolitan City was now on fire, its flames rising brutally into the air, the smoke engulfing the entire area. The majestic cathedral structure now looked like a person set afire, the windows instantly shattering by the forceful impact of the explosion, while they could hear the crashes and booms from within the library, indicating that the bookshelves were now beginning their ominous fall of crashes.

"No... No... No!"

Ranveer looked at Ishaani's face as it was horror-struck. Tears escaped her already-dry face and Ranveer felt his heart crush. He had to make a decision at the moment, choose from between his wife or the library and he knew that it was a hard call. He could not look straight at the library as his heart felt mangled at the savage sight of his temple. As if to make decisions easier, he felt something hold his collar in a bestial manner, and his eyes met Ishaani's, who now had a manic look in his eyes.

"Do something... please... please..." Ranveer looked at Ishaani uncertainly as her gaze now met his own in a beseeching way.

"Will you be alright?" Ishaani nodded her head and Ranveer got to his feet.

"Yes... yes... go... go!" Ranveer turned back and gave Ishaani a final kiss on her forehead, speaking in an assuring tone.

"We will see this through, Ishaani, I promise. We will see this through."

Ishaani nodded her head as Ranveer now headed into the direction of the fire, his heart thumping wilder than ever. She felt the same light-headedness claim her that had abandoned her a few moments ago when the infernal fire had broken out. Before she even knew it, her eyes shut, her head now falling limply to her side, a groan escaping her lips.

* * *

_Plunk. Plunk. Plunk._

Ishaani felt something splatter against her face and she moaned. She could not understand what had interrupted such a beautiful nap, but she resented it loads. She felt comfortable in her nap, and she knew that waking up would only mean returning to pain and fear. How she knew this, she did not know, but the outcome was certain.

Even before she had any control, she felt herself returning back to reality, the pain in her limbs returning, along with an excruciating one in her back. What had caused her such agony, she did not know, but it wasn't pleasant even in the slightest. She opened her eyes and shut it again, as something too bright stood before her vision.

Bracing herself for the impact this time, she swung open her eyes and felt disoriented, for the sight before her was bizarre. The fire looked just as horrendous as it did before she lost consciousness, but now it was paralyzing. The fire roared mercilessly throughout the establishment, but now, it was not whipping and lashing its whips of flames in dominance, but rather in a losing battle.

The memory of the past few hours returning to her, she gasped as she remembered seeing Ranveer enter the blazing library and felt her face drain away of blood. But the water than she felt sprinkling on her face was not someone throwing it on her; it came from a heartless lash of rain.

Ishaani felt stunned as she saw the heavy lashes of rain fall against the establishment, along with several more voices that were shouting instructions and commands out in the distance. Ishaani got down from the car, her energy somehow restored, even though she needed the support of the car. She did not know why she had the will to spend so much energy, but she did, and ran towards the fire, where now several fire trucks stood, the firemen trying to hose out the fire.

She did not know how her feet carried her there but before she knew it, she was now standing beside a fire truck and staring at the hypnotizing sight before her eyes, while some of the standby firemen were doing the same. Water and fire battled and conflicted against each other, fire trying to free himself from the grasp of the now-overwhelming rains, while the rains only lashed harder and harder, the few firemen continuing with their enforcements alongside.

Ishaani now stood completely drenched, shivering bitterly as her dress now hugged her figure, making it heavier for her to handle it. But she didn't care. Only one thought ran through her mind like a mantra, like a feverish desperation - Ranveer was nowhere in sight. The fireman noticed her presence and two of them caught her by the arms and made her sit in one of the paramedics van, handing her a towel and wiping her hair clean.

"Ma'am, please stay here. Is it that you are finding for someone?" Ishaani looked at the fireman, and spoke to him in a frenzied tone.

"Yes... yes... my husband. He's in the library I think." The firemen gave her a confused look. "He is the trustee and owner of the library, you see. We... we... we were returning back from Athens when we got caught up and our car was vandalized at Naxou by the protesters. My husband... took the alternative route and we... we... were returning home when we saw the library catch fire... he... he went to try to put it off... I don't know..." Ishaani had now reduced to tears as her heart had a very sour and bitter feeling about the ultimate outcome.

The paramedic attendant rubbed her back soothingly as she quickly applied an antiseptic, covering the wound with gauze. Ishaani, however, couldn't feel anything, her mind on the sole focus of finding and saving Ranveer. The firemen gave her a sympathetic look and spoke in a strong tone.

"Ma'am, we'll find your husband. Please let the paramedics attend to you now." Ishaani noticed that the paramedic attendant was about to give her morphine, before she slapped her hand away.

"No! I don't want any medical attention until I know what happened to my husband!" The paramedic attendant was about to protest when one of the firemen handling the hosing came running up to them.

"The fire is put out! The rain has cut it out! The team is calling you for the search of casualties." The fireman with Ishaani nodded his head gravely, and looked at Ishaani in a determined manner, his voice polite.

"Don't worry, ma'am, we will find your husband!" Ishaani gave him a weak nod, and the fireman ordered his batch to follow him to the site. Ishaani jumped out from the van in spite of the paramedic attendant trying to keep a hold on her.

Ishaani's mind was now panic-stricken. She did not care about how cold or wet she was anymore, neither the fact that her body hurt immensely. All she could think about was Ranveer and his own safety, hoping against odds that he was alright. She felt guilty about the fact that she had put him through such an emotional turmoil, and she only prayed to the Almighty for his life.

She stood outside in wait, as the other set of firemen were putting off the last bits of fire, the area now completely filled with stifling smoke. Ishaani coughed in fits, as the smoke was now getting to her, even though she tried to resist it. Before anyone could notice her presence in the hustle and bustle of the night, the team of firemen from within the library came out.

But with them was no Ranveer, and Ishaani's heart sank. The fireman from before walked up to her and shook his head, the heavy equipment on him shaking as well.

"There is nobody inside. Are you sure that your husband was in there?" Ishaani nodded her head firmly, the dying sight of Ranveer vanishing inside the library burnt across her mind firmly.

"Yes... yes! Look, you have got to find him, please!" The fireman gave her a consoling look as he spoke gently.

"Ma'am, we've searched twice, but we haven't found a body." Ishaani looked outraged and threw her hair behind her in indignation as the rain whipped against her form. The fireman cowered before the murderous look on her face.

"Body? _Body?_ That's my husband that you are talking about!" The fireman gave her an apologetic look, but he knew that he had to present her with all the facts.

"He could have abandoned you and fled for his life, if he isn't around nearby. My men have searched the area as well." Ishaani yanked his collar and pushed him away harshly, an insane rage taking over her now.

"Get out of my way! I'm going to search for him inside!" The fireman looked abashed and made to stop her.

"Ma'am, you can't-"

"Try and stop me!" Before the fireman could get a hold on her arm, Ishaani ducked and ran into the library, her blood turning icier every minute and her heart cold. If she had sworn that Neapolitan City was the Heaven she had had the opportunity to work in, then today, she was seeing Hell. The library lay in ruins within, bookshelves and books in ruins, tables and chairs in ashes.

Ishaani felt like death was over her shoulder, laughing at her helplessness, and the destruction in front of her eyes stabbed her heart every moment. There was a strange ominous feeling in the air as she stepped further, trying to take him her surrounding, even though as she managed to do was inhale more smoke. She scanned her eyes around the premises, but all she could see was ruin and smoke, obscuring everything away from her in a thick veil.

Ishaani walked within blindly, coughing, retching and spluttering for breath as the smoke now overwhelmed her senses. She did not know how many times she stumbled or how many times she hit something, but as she made her way through bravely, she only hoped that Ranveer was not inside, for now she could see no chance that he would have survived it.

She cursed herself mentally for even conceiving of such a thought, but her optimism was now steadily fading away as the crude reality crashed around her, her senses suddenly giving up. Her heart however, only beat faster and louder, so that she could now hear it through her ears. She could only pray that the beating of her heart signified the fact that Ranveer was alive, but then again, her heart felt like it would stop any moment.

Calling Ranveer's name over and over again, Ishaani turned around desperately hoping for a reply, but in vain. She made a dash ahead as she felt she saw a movement, it resulting in her falling over, her arm hitting something sharp. She winced in pain as tears finally sprung from her eyes, his heart, mind and body giving up entirely.

She did not know for how long she remained fallen on the ground, sobbing and inhaling the ghostly atmosphere that now suffocated her, when something sparkled in her eyes. She looked up, hoping against hope, trying to find for the source of the spark, before her eyes fell over the debris of two book shelves that were fallen ominously over each other, forming a hill. From between the gap came the glint, and Ishaani wiped away her tears.

Forcing herself on her feet again after several failed attempts, she rushed to the debris and her heart skipped a beat. Her instinct had been right as the glint had come from the ring that Ranveer had on his finger. She looked inside to see a body lying huddled, the hand falling out from the gap limply.

She tugged at the hand that now felt hot as a furnace and pulled it out. There lied Ranveer before her, his head bleeding copiously, while his clothes were cut and singed from dozens of places. Ishaani looked at Ranveer, a new panic rising in her heart, shaking him violently, forgetting her own pains and illness.

"Ranveer... Ranveer!" No response came and Ishaani put her hand over his neck to check for a pulse. She found none. Her head fell over his chest, as she finally gave up, her strength now failing her. She sobbed over chest, her restraint cracking, no control over herself.

"Wake up... please... wake up...You promised me that we would see this through... please..." Ishaani tried to pat his face, but it only resulted in his head to fall limply to the other side. His face had a very eerie look about it, disturbed yet peaceful and it distinctly tore apart her soul.

The last thing that she remembered, however was staring him in the face, her hand clutched over his shirt, before she lost herself entirely to the pitiless darkness of the night.

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done finally!. :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68: The Enchantment of Love**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D This update is a humongous one, so, tada!**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

_"Male, Indian, late 20's, several lacerations, superficial second degree burns, traumatic bleeding in the head! Need stats ASAP!"_

_"Still not breathing, no pulse!"_

_"Keep backing!"_

_"Amp up the extra O2 and get me five milligrams of atropine!"_

_"Keep the defibrillator on standby!"_

_"Keep backing up!"_

_"Clear at 130 Joules!"_

_"Still nothing!"_

_"Everybody, clear! Clear at 160!"_

_"Nothing, no sign of a rhythm!"_

Ishaani shut her eyes and tried to strain out the foreign voices that kept hitting her like the sharp blades of a knife, driving her headache to another edge. Yet somehow, everything felt disconnected. She could not understand what was happening to her, neither could she fathom why she felt so lifeless. She distantly felt someone hoisting her up somewhere but she didn't know where.

All that soared through her mind was one thing, one name that she knew would solve everything. She did not know why the name kept leaving her lips in a continuous mantra but it did. In that moment she could not place the name anywhere, but she knew that it meant everything to her, a name that completed her and she completed him - Ranveer.

The world was a dark place, quiet, serene, but she figured it was because she was some place safe. She groaned slowly as she felt herself drifting away from the calm, trying to hold on to it forcefully, it only resulting in the peace slipping away from her, introducing her to a new world.

This world was dark as well, but she knew that light would only come if she opened her eyes. She didn't want to, for she felt extremely comfortable, yet her heart felt a distress that she couldn't place. And then her mantra returned back to her, Ranveer's name escaping her lips softly, even though she should barely whisper.

Knowing that she had to inevitably open her eyes if she wanted to learn more about her curious surrounding, she gently opened her eyes, blinking several times to clear her vision. She looked about the room curiously, the white, mundane walls of the hospital room greeting her with its usual whiff of antiseptics, while she noticed several wires attached about her.

The rhythmic beeping of the machine beside her was calming, but she no longer felt calm. Opening her eyes had meant retuning back to reality, returning back to the memories of the tragedies of the previous night. She kept chanting Ranveer's name in a stronger voice, but stopped abruptly as she turned her head to her side and saw Claudine staring at her tiredly.

"Ranveer..."

"Shhh... give your voice some rest. It's quite an ordeal that you've been through."

"How long have I been out?"

"Eighteen hours. I'll be right back." Claudine stood up and left the room, leaving Ishaani behind to stare at the window. The sun way now streaming into the room brightly and Ishaani couldn't help but notice how peaceful it was after last night's chaos.

Claudine returned back with Dr. Phillipe and Ishaani groaned. The doctor gave her a small smile as he checked her stats and made notes on his clipboard. Ishaani looked at him nervously, as he gave her a reprimanding look.

"Didn't I tell you that I didn't want to see you over here again?" Ishaani disregarded his statement. He gave her a serious look. "It's a miracle that you survived it at all, given the condition that you are in. Luckily enough, your bruises weren't deep, so it was alright. The wound in your back, but given that the paramedics treated you in time, you luckily did not catch an infection. We pumped out the major aspects of carbon monoxide from your lungs, although your vocal box is still sore from all the smoke inhalation. It will take a week for it to get alright."

Ishaani nodded her head solemnly as a very chilling thought struck her mind like an ice-knife.

"What... what about..."

"Your child?" Dr. Phillipe gave her a sympathetic look, while her fear only increased manifold.

"Yes." Dr. Phillipe gave her a serious look, his voice just as grave when he spoke next.

"When we brought you in, you looked bad. You were over-exerted and in emotional shock, and we were almost certain that you had miscarried, from the way things looked. But you didn't. It wouldn't be wrong for me to say that your child had a stronger heartbeat than yourself when you were brought into the ER, and that your child is the reason that you are alive. Both you and your child are now safe, but I would suggest a lot of bed rest from now on. If any more strain falls, a lot of complications could arise in the next two trimesters of your pregnancy."

Ishaani shut her eyes in silent prayer and heaved a sigh of relief. But the most important question now overtook her senses, now that she was assured that her baby was fine.

"And what about Ranveer?"

"The paramedics managed to revive him successfully, although things didn't look as good for him. His case doctor tells me that it is nothing short of a miracle that he pulled through it all, in spite of the CPR. He had lost a loss of blood and his lungs wouldn't take in any air. We gave him artificial respiration from 12 hours and a blood transfusion, before he began stabilizing on his own. He has suffered from second degree burns that would take two to three weeks to heal, but otherwise, he will make an overall recovery eventually."

"Is he completely stable now?"

"Yes, he is." Ishaani gave him a small smile, but she noticed that the usually optimistic doctor looked deep in worry. Before she could ask anything further, Claudine asked in a worried voice.

"What about his respiratory system?"

"Just like in Ishaani's case, we've filtered out most of the carbon monoxide from his lungs, but he will be on extra oxygen for the next week as well so that his can make a quicker recovery. Also, it's best if he doesn't use his voice as well for the next week that should help heal his voice box as well. But otherwise, he is now stable and his vitals are increasing." Ishaani looked at Dr. Phillipe's face and knew instantly that something was wrong, that he knew much more than he was letting on.

"Why do I feel that there is something more?" Phillipe and Claudine shared a tense look before Claudine nodded her head in ascent. The doctor continued.

"Yes, there is something else as well," taking a deep breath, he spoke swiftly. "He's suffered from a mild-traumatic brain injury or a concussion, as you would better understand." Ishaani's eyes widened fearfully and Dr. Phillipe continued in a grave tone. "Considering the fire that he was rescued from, there was absolutely no chance of him to survive. But he did, and you must be thankful for that. Judging by his injuries, we are suspecting a post-traumatic amnesia, one of the classic symptoms of an MTBI, but we cannot say anything until he regains consciousness."

Ishaani did not understand how to respond to this and settled for the easiest question.

"Is it permanent?"

"Not really, no. Most patients regain their memory back within three weeks of their accident, but it may be more than it, varying from person to person. In either way, he should make a full recovery within the month. So if he doesn't remember you or anybody else, don't feel bad. Just remain patient and loving with him. He may repeat questions several times, may tend to get confused easily or may become disoriented at times, but just be there for him."

Ishaani remained silent and Claudine overtook her again.

"Is there anything else that we should be worrying about?"

"He may have a problem with his motor functions, but given that he doesn't have a spinal injury, the problem should get rectified once the effects of the concussion subside. Other than that, he's fine."

Ishaani looked at the doctor blankly, her voice croaking yet balanced, even her heart was now swimming in constricting ice.

"When will he wake up?"

"We've kept him on high sedatives now, so he shouldn't be up until tomorrow."

"When will you discharge me?"

"Your vitals are perfectly alright and I just got the reports from your sonography. Your kid is doing just as well. The growth of the foetus is happening at a healthy pace, which is a very good sign. I'll just keep you over for another night and I'll sign your discharge papers in the morning." Ishaani nodded her head and the doctor made his way out from the room, while Claudine now gave Ishaani a tired look.

Ishaani looked at Claudine as hot stinging tears now stemmed from her eyes, falling over her pillow in feverish rapidity. She did not bother to control her sobs and Claudine quickly raised up her bed, so that giving her a hug was much easier. Even though Claudine was highly comfortable, she let Ishaani cry openly, rubbing her back in soothing circles, stroking her hair alongside.

Ishaani felt as though her world had been transformed into dust in that moment, as the images of Ranveer's lifeless form kept flitting into her mind and the thought of how close it had been only frightened her. But along with it, the sight of destruction that the library withheld had scorched her heart with the same intensity as the fire did.

Separating from Claudine once tears failed her, she looked at the other woman beseechingly, her voice no louder than a whisper.

"The library... the library... all the books... the knowledge... burnt... everything ashes... it's wrong... wrong..." Claudine suddenly gave her a curious look and Ishaani stopped speaking halfway. Ishaani looked at the relief on Claudine's face, which looked rather misplaced, but even as Claudine spoke absent-mindedly, there was a relief in her voice.

"It must probably be the only good thing that happened." Ishaani looked stunned, and her look of misery quickly changed into one of revulsion and disgust, her fried voice depicting the same.

"How could you say that?!" Claudine gave Ishaani a confused look while the latter now refused to meet eyes with her.

"Why wouldn't I say it? The books are perfectly alright." Ishaani gave Claudine an indignant look.

"No, the books are burnt." Claudine gave Ishaani a smile and repeated her statement in a strong voice.

"No, they are perfectly safe."

"I saw them-"

But even as Ishaani gave Claudine a determined look, she couldn't recall the memory of seeing a single book, ashes or ruined, in the library. On giving it more thought, all that she actually recalled was seeing the destroyed bookshelves, and the tables and chairs that has been reduced to ashes. The library did feel like a vacant building in spite of the smoke, and suddenly, Ishaani's spirits were slightly better, realizing that what Claudine was saying was true.

"How did it happen?"

"Shortly after the two of you left in the morning, Martha called us and informed us that there was a short circuit in the library, and a small fire had broken out. I and Martin rushed over to the library, but luckily, Martha had managed to put out the fire and nothing had got damaged. We told Martha to carry on for the fair, even though she was adamant not to go, but we assured her that we would handle the matter."

"What happened then?"

"We called the electrician, but he told us that there was some kind of major leakage from the washroom's main plumbing line, which intersected with the main electricity line of the library that were causing the wires to spark off. They told us that it was a major job that needed atleast a week to rectify so that the lines could be separated. They advised us to empty the library so that there wasn't any damage to the inbuilt property of the same during the maintenance and repair works, given that it was a complicated job. Since it was already late afternoon by the time we came to know about it, we only had time to cart off all the books. We were supposed to take away the bookshelves and other furniture tomorrow, but then _this_ happened."

Ishaani looked at Claudine in surprise, clearly stunned at the proceedings of the day, but a strange relief spreading over her knowing that all the books were safe.

"Where are the books right now?"

"In the basement of our house." Ishaani gasped in relief, before breaking into a racking fit of coughs. Claudine rubbed her back and gave her some water drink, that soothed the latter's throat instantly. Once Ishaani had managed to gather her strength, she spoke in a stronger whisper.

"Oh God... Claudine... I... How can I ever thank you both?"

"Hush. It was pretty lucky that we carted off the books, or else it would have been very awful. Besides, don't speak like an idiot about thanking us, or else..." Ishaani smiled slightly at the look on Claudine's face and quickly changed the topic.

"Where is Martin and Martha?"

"He's with Ranveer right now and Martha is with the kids, along with managing the situation about the library." After a few contemplative moments, Ishaani asked slowly.

"Can I see Ranveer?"

"No, not today. You can see him once you are discharged, alright? And you've spoken enough for one day so don't strain yourself, and take some rest now. You still look worse for wear."

* * *

Ishaani was discharged the next day, with a list of explicit warning with Phillipe and her gynecologist, but otherwise alright. Claudine led her towards the room where Ranveer was, and the two women met Martin, who had just finished his conversation with the doctor. Martin saw Ishaani and gave her a hug, and Ishaani could feel half of his worry fading away as she shivered in her arms.

Pulling himself away after a few minutes, Martin gave Ishaani a strong look, his voice much stronger than he looked.

"It's good to see you alright, _madame_."

"It's good to see you too." Ishaani tried to see into the room through the window but the blinds were pulled down. She looked at Martin imploringly. "How is he?"

"The doctor says that _monsieur_ has just gained consciousness and that they're just doing a few tests before they let us see him." Ishaani nodded her head as Claudine made her sit down on one of the chairs and the three of them waited. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor left the room and gave Claudine a meaningful.

"It's just like we feared. Retrograde amnesia."

"It isn't permanent though?"

"I shouldn't think so, no. He should regain his memory once the effects wear off. He does have a problem with his motor functions, but luckily, he doesn't have a paralysis, which is a very good sign." Ishaani looked at them blankly, not taking in a word they spoke. She only wanted to see Ranveer awake, the one sight that would dim the fire of guilt and pain in her heart.

"Can we meet him?"

"Yes, but one at a time. He shouldn't get distressed in any way and seeing too many foreign faces may trigger a side-effect." All the three of them nodded and the doctor gave a smile to Ishaani. "I've heard a lot about you from Claudine and I've seen the way you fought for his life back during his accident. You are a brave and courageous girl. Just remain strong and love him the way you do. He will be alright." Ishaani smiled at the doctor while he gave her a reassuring pat on her back.

Ishaani, Claudine and Martin sighed as they opened the door to his room. Ranveer lay before them, staring vacantly at the ceiling, looking like a patched up rag doll. His arms and feet were completely covered in plaster, while a turban of bandage sat on his head gingerly. Several monitors were attached to him by means of wires, and as the doctor has mentioned, he was still on the extra oxygen.

Martin and Claudine silently backed away, wondering whether to enter first or no, but Ishaani knew. She walked forward towards Ranveer and took a seat beside him. He turned towards her and gave her a bewildered look, but somehow it did not deter his spirit. He was hers, and nothing could take that away from her. She smiled at him gently as she took his injured hand in her own, speaking in a soft voice.

"Welcome back." Ranveer stared at her blankly for a few minutes, before giving her a small smile, nodding his head slowly in acknowledgement. Ishaani gently gave him a kiss on the back of his hand, looking him dead in the eyes, speaking soulfully.

"I love you." She didn't expect an answer because she knew he wouldn't remember her. But it felt good to say it nonetheless. Ranveer struggled for a minute, trying to get his mind working. Finally getting through with it, he said something that surprised them all.

"I love you, too."

* * *

It took two days to remember everyone's name. Three days to remember how to read and write. Five days to get out of bed and a week walk around the ward. Eight days to get rid of the slur accompanying the concussion. Nine days to remember what happened to hospitalize him. Ranveer had become just as hysterical about the library as Ishaani was when she had woken up, but once she told him the whole thing, he relaxed considerably.

On the eleventh day he was dangerously close to relapsing, but on the twelfth he showed everyone how strong he was. On the fifteenth day he began to grow antsy, wanting out of the hospital as soon as possible, Ishaani, Martha, Martin and Claudine now fed up of his unreasonable talk. On the seventeenth day, he attempted a shot at trying to escape from the hospital, bored by its mundane atmosphere, but was caught by a fuming Ishaani. She didn't talk to him for the whole day before he emotionally blackmailed her into doing the same.

"Fine! Don't talk to me... I'll just sit here and die of boredom."

"It's a real pity that the doctor has asked me to be loving, or else a slap on your face should have been answer enough."

"I'm perfectly fine! See? Perfectly alright!"

"Save the speech for Dr. Anthony, not me."

"Alright, fine! I'm sorry. I won't anything like that again, promise."

"You better be sorry." Ranveer stared at Ishaani sympathetically as he saw her eyes welling up. "Come here." Ishaani refused to meet eyes with him, but let him take her in his arms nonetheless. She let herself cry in his arms, happy that he could now be weak and let Ranveer take care of her. Separating from the hug, Ranveer wiped away Ishaani's tears and smiled.

"What's happened has happened. Let it go. Our love emerged victorious against death, it's what kept us alive. Let it go."

"I would have died if anything would have happened to you."

"Shhh. We have had enough conversations of the same. You got stabbed, third time of facing death for me, but the end point is that we both fought it out. Our child as well. So let it go. I know that it's easier said than done, but we needn't worry. It's over now, Ishaani, it's just going to be a part of our past. Don't jeopardize our present and future for it. We've conquered our fear of death, so don't let it haunt you again."

"I wish I had never said that blasted thing." Ranveer understood what she implied, and he smiled ruefully.

"I wish the same, but now, let that go. It's time for my medicine."

"Medicine? I just gave them to you."

"Not that medicine, stupid, _that_ one." Ishaani blushed furiously and smacked his arm lightly.

"You are getting none of that, mister. Consider it as your punishment for your brilliant escape attempt this afternoon." Ranveer pouted his lips childishly, while Ishaani left the room with an evil grin.

On the twentieth day he started to work again secretly from the hospital, against doctor's orders. On the twenty-second day Ranveer's wish came true; he was released. Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other as they finally left the hospital building hand in hand, secretly glad to get shot of the place, even though they were more than thankful for all the services that the doctors had given them.

Ranveer and Ishaani sat in the car, Ranveer enjoying the scenic atmosphere after three weeks of confinement, when he realized that the car was not heading home. He looked at Ishaani in confusion, but the latter just mouthed the word 'surprise'. The car came to a halt after ten minutes and Ranveer gasped in shock, Ishaani thoroughly enjoying his reactions.

Ranveer and Ishaani got down from the car and stood in front of Neapolitan City that looked as grand as it did before the fire. It was as though the fire had never happened, the place had never burned down. The glass panes and exterior of the cathedral like structure looked as majestic as ever, the only difference being that it looked cleaner.

The two of them entered the library and Ranveer felt like he was bowled off his feet. The library functioned as usual, all the furniture and books restored, the library packed with people. The only difference that the place had was the flooring, which was now maple wood instead of cherry, and the bookshelves being brand new ones. Everything else, including the same mysterious aura of the library, felt identical.

"How did you do this?"

"Once we realized that the books were safe, we all got our spirits back. We called over the electrician and got the matter resolved, that it replace the old electricity box with a new one and make sure they have the lines separate. A week after that, we got the whole thing painted, the same shade as we had renovated it with some time back. The smell of the smoke thankfully subsided and we ordered for the tables, chairs, lamps, curtains and bookshelves. We got the delivery within five days and once that was done, we re-installed the books back. The library was opened to the public three days back. Martha's cabin got working yesterday.

"And the windows?"

"That's because I'd sent an order for a new set of the same panes for replacing them with the old ones last month, remember? Well, it helped." Ranveer smiled at Ishaani as he kissed her gently, claiming his lips with her own in a magical moment, pouring all of his emotions into her. Breaking apart, he smiled and spoke in a soft yet awestruck voice.

"I couldn't have asked for a bigger surprise. The aura... atmosphere... it's perfect. It's just like magic." Ishaani smiled, as she ruffled his hair gently.

"It is magic. The magic of love."

* * *

**Phew! :) :)**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69: Sticking Together**

* * *

**A/N: Het there everyone! :D :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Two months had elapsed since Ranveer's discharge without any more shockers or incidents. Once Ranveer had been discharged from the hospital, he was confined to a strict fifteen day best rest and one month of conpulsary physiotherapy, that everyone made sure that Ranveer completed.

Unlike the previous time, Ranveer and Ishaani were much well adept in dealing with the effects of their nightmarish experience. Somehow, the two of them were more comfortable not discussing it entirely until they were ready to confront it whole, but till then, they decided to focus on the sole task before them - the well being of their unborn child.

As Ishaani steadily progressed into her second trimester, her condition got tricky enough to handle, serving as an excellent distraction for the couple. The two of them made a mutual pact if not discussing the night at all, for it was much more distressing talking about it than trying to forget about it altogether. Martin and Claudine continued with the same policy as well. Nobody tried to pretend that the thing never happened, but all were content in letting the unsaid things remain unsaid. But the three instrumental people in helping everyone overcome the shock of the incident were Fred, George and Timmy.

Timmy barked his head off when Ranveer had finally returned home after three weeks, trying to lick him from all angels and wagging his head wildly, before Ishaani and Claudine pulled off the overexcited dog off of him. Freddy and George seemed just as happy to see him, happily cooing and giggling while seeing him, he doing the same.

Martin and Claudine sat huddled in a conversation one fine evening, when a five month pregnant Ishaani descended from the stairs in discomfort, her hand over her bump protectively.

"Is everything alright?" Ishaani took a seat beside Claudine, who gave her a sympathetic look.

"Claud, I salute you. It's so difficult for me to manage myself at times with the bump! And you've had twins, for crying out loud!" Claudine chuckled at the horror in her voice and spoke in an understanding voice.

"Oh come now, Ishaani, it's pretty much alright. And trust me, you are really an angel with all the hormones. I was such a devil back then." Ishaani and Martin both gave each other an all-too understanding smile, Ishaani now speaking with reasonability.

"And I don't blame you. Besides, I have to take care of Ranveer as well, so tantrum making is off my list." Claudine gave her a sweet smile, while Martin spoke for the first time, his tone overly-enthusiastic.

"Madame is most understanding." Claudine gave Martin a questioning look, and he flushed. Turning back to Ishaani, the former smiled slyly.

"Well, every one's nine-month journey is different. Luckily, you were done with your worst in the first three months of your duration. I wasn't so lucky till my 7th month." Ishaani looked confused before she remembered the one-month estrangement between Martin and Claudine and gave the couple an awkward look. Martin however, didn't look abashed; only guilty.

"That is perhaps the only regret I will have lifelong," said Martin, as he now chose to admire the pair of shoes he wore. Claudine took Martin's hand in her own that was a prompt enough for Martin to raise his head up. The couple stared at each other with a blazing look in their eyes before Claudine spoke strongly.

"No, I do not regret it. For it was because of that one month that you finally learned to live, cher. If anything, I am thoroughly thankful for it."

Martin and Claudine immersed themselves into a deep eyelock with each other, and Ishaani smiled. Just then, Ranveer and Marthaentered the hall, seeing the scene before his eyes with utmost interest. He cleared his throat noisily, breaking Martin and Claudine's trance. Ishaani walked up to Ranveer and he hugged her as much as the bump permitted him to do.

Breaking apart, Ishaani gave Martha a bear hug as well, before the three of them walked back to the couch where Claudine and Martin were seated. Ranveer plonked tiredly, while Martha took a graceful seat. Ishaani quickly asked one of the helpers to get Ranveer and Martha a strong cup of coffee. Ishaani had been seeing Martha after two weeks for she was now on her maternity leave.

"So, how was your day?" asked Ishaani, who had just taken a seat beside Ranveer. He gave her a dejected sigh, speaking into a monotonous tone.

"Horrible. The markets are shut for another week until the bailoffs don't happen." Ishaani shook her head in disappointment, now turning her head towards Martha.

"And how's the library going?"

"Never better. It's like the place has been given a new life. Ever since the fire, things have only been thriving! More people, more books; the crowd has increased just the same. I've had to hire two more assistants in addition to the other one to handle the working.

"I miss the library so much!"

"You can return back to it any time you want."

"But, I you know, it puzzles me some times. What was the point of the fire? In life, I always believe that everything happens for a reason. But here... I could not see any."

"Sweetie, there were loads of reasons. The two of you had been fearing a lot of things before the fire broke out. You walked out of it unscathed. You conquered your fear."

"But why the library?"

"My mother always told me that a place always thrives on the base of its ruins. You can see the living proof of that. The books were unscathed, knowledge was preserved, but the library got a new life altogether. You always told me that you could guess the different sections of the library without knowing what they were on the basis of their aura. You were right. A library survives of the basis of its aura, not infrastructure."

"It always stood as a symbol of love for me."

"I always told you that Neapolitan City was a symbolism of my incomplete love story with David. But when I handed you and Ranveer the library, I told you that this library would now be the symbolism of your complete love story. Your love story was complete, the phoenix of your love interlinked with the library had reached its prime of life, it caught fire. But it took birth again from the ashes of the past. Neapolitan City had to turn over a new leaf as well, and it did."

Everyone let Martha's words sink in as they sat in silence. Ranveer and Martha sipped over their coffee silently, while the rest of them preferred sitting in tranquility, as the incidents from three months ago played in their minds. Martha now took the initiative to break the quiet of the mansion, and questioned Martin gently.

"How is work at your place, Martin?" Martin had a similar look of resignation on his face, his voice holding an undercurrent of worry, apart from hopelessness.

"It's just as bad, Madame Brandt. Everything depends upon the bailoffs now." Martha nodded his head gravely, before asking him further.

"What about your job?"

"My company managed to divert most of their funds away from Greece at the right time, so the company is still trying to stay afloat. They are happy with my work and assure me that come what may, I'm to stay." Ranveer, Ishaani, Claudine and Martha gave him relieved looks, Ishaani now taking the lead.

"Martin, what about your housing arrangements?"

"It will happen next month, _madame_." Ishaani nodded her head satisfactorily, as she questioned further.

"And where will your next residence be?"

"In Vouliagmeni, somewhere around my office complex, most probably. My boss tells me that it was be a spacious two-bedroom flat provided by the company." Ranveer and Ishaani smiled, but it quickly faltered as they noticed the uncomfortable looks of Martin and Claudine's face. Ranveer questioned tentatively.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." When Ranveer gave the couple a skeptical look, Martin spoke decisively.

"We are not moving."

"What?" Ranveer and Ishaani spoke in unison, stunned disbelief clear on their features. The two of them stared at Martin and Claudine agog while Claudine shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Yes, I and Martin have mutually decided that we won't be moving until you have your delivery. I was thinking to stay back for another four months as well. The months after a woman's pregnancy are very crucial." Ishaani looked at Claudine like she was insane, before speaking with finality.

"Are you insane? Ofcourse not!" Claudine gave her a stony look, her voice now dipping low with sharp sarcasm.

"Do you want to kick us out of here?" Ishaani flushed, but not standing down as well.

"No! But you needn't do this for us! The two of you have started over a new life, we don't want to be the reason why you are holding back." Claudine gave her an exasperated look, while Martin now spoke in a patient voice.

"We are not doing this because of anything else, we are doing it so that we can ease _madame's_ tenure sufficiently." Ranveer gave the couple a deep, scrutinizing look, catching the twitch in Martin's eye instantly. Smirking slightly, Ranveer now questioned with utmost delicacy.

"Why do I feel that this is something else entirely?" Martin made the mistake of making an eye contact with Ranveer in that moment and he faltered horribly.

"We... we..." Ranveer turned his attention towards Claudine, as Martin gave him a terrified look.

"Claud..." Claudine spoke placidly.

"Let's just say that we do not trust the two of you entirely to leave you alone." Ranveer and Ishaani gave her a mixture of bewildered and outraged looks, while she gave them a bland look.

"What? We aren't... oh!" Ranveer flushed deeply, Ishaani instantly catching on to the meaning. She gave Claudine an irritable twitch, Claudine throwing her hands up in a surrender.

"Don't look at me like that, you are trouble magnets." Ishaani glared at her, before trying to play defensive.

"Come on, what happened three months ago wasn't our fault! We... well..." Ranveer however, jumped in at the right time, picking up from where Ishaani left her statement.

"It wasn't our fault. We had no clue that the riots were going to break out or else we would have headed home much earlier." Claudine and Martin gave each other uncertain looks, before Martha spoke for the first time in all those minutes.

"So can we talk about it now?" Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other tentative looks, knowing that their pact had broken. Ranveer gave Martha a deep sigh, now speaking in a resigned tone.

"I suppose so." Claudine nodded her head, she could feel the atmosphere of the room tense up. She directed her first question to Ranveer.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time. In fact all of us have." Ranveer gave her an unsure look, but obliged nonetheless.

"Go on."

"Why did you enter the library, when you knew the entire place was ablaze? It was not as though a single man could have done it all." Ranveer gave a shaky look to the other four, knowing that this was an overdue question. He answered blankly.

"I went in because I expected the aerial sprinklers to work and to put out the fire, or atleast part of it. I though that if I could control the fire from within, it could be put out." Martha gave him a confused look.

"But the sprinklers couldn't have been working."

"Because of the fire that same morning, yes. But you can't blame me, it's not like I knew." Martha gave him an understanding look, but Ishaani looked slightly confused.

"Wait, I don't understand." Ranveer gave Ishaani a nid before speaking slowly.

"The library has got an automatic fire defense mechanism that I'd installed three years back. If a fire if to break out, the smoke would hit the sensors and aerial sprinklers would immediately be brought into effect. The short circuit in the morning disabled the sensors and the sprinklers, because of which the defense mechanism went a fail. Before I knew that there was something wrong or I could escape, there was another miniature explosion. The last thing I remember is crashing into something hard, before I get up straight at the hospital." Ishaani nodded her head in complete comprehension, before gritting her teeth in evident frustration.

"But I don't get it, when I asked you to do something, I meant for you to call for help, not dive into the burning building!" Ranveer gave her an irritated look.

"I was in a frenzy, alright? You were injured and were barely able to form words... what the hell were you doing by the car anyway?"

"I wanted water!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ishaani gave Raveer an incredulois look, momentarily taken aback by the lameness of his question, before she retorted heatedly.

"What do you mean by 'why didn't you tell me'? You were out of my sight and busy with Mr. Rodgers. Besides, I didn't know that I would be attacked by a bunch of lunatic protesters now, did I?" Ranveer glared at her before blurting out abruptly.

"Yes, and your collapsing in my arms the way you did didn't help me either." Ishaani flared, her response instant, dripping with painful sarcasm.

"Yeah right, as though seeing you all singed, bruised and heavily bleeding was a treat for me." Ranveer gave her a resigned look before speaking grudgingly.

"Ugh, it was better than we didn't discuss it at all!" Ishaani nodded her head the two of them re-instating their pact, while Ishaani noe looked at the other couple gravely.

"Martin, Claudine, look, what happened three months ago was neither of our faults. And it's not like we invite trouble... it just finds us." Ranveer nodded feverishly, backing her up.

"I agree, and this is something both of y'all have worked for. Please don't let the two of us hinder it." Claudine gave the couple a thunderous look at Ranveer's last statement, noe taking on a new pact.

"Do you have a problem if we stay here?"

"No."

"Do you think we are intruding over your privacy if we stay here?"

"No, but-"

"Do you think we are acting like people who love staying for free in a huge mansion?"

"Ofcourse not, we-"

"Good, so we don't want an argument. We're sticking together." Ranveer and Ishaani gave each other a beseeching look, but knew instantly that the argument was lost. As a last resort, Ishaani tunred her head towards Martha.

She, in turn, gave them a firm look.

"Look, the two of them are right. Besides, they will not be staying with you forever now, are they? They will be moving out after some time."

"But look at Martin's state! He is fagged out! And Claudine wanted to celebrate her kid's first birthday in their own house!"

"Look Ishaani, you always call as family and you two have always stood by us time and again. This is what families do. They stick together. We have our dreams, but they can wait. The two of you are more important. We wouldn't have been where we are today if wasn't for the two of you. So let it be." The attempt with Claudine being a failure, Ranveer turned towards Martin.

"Martin..."

"Monsieur, when I asked once how I could ever reolay uou and madame, she told that I couldn't, because it was what family stood for. If you ever considered us truly as your family, let go." Finally beaten completely at the argument, Ranveer and Ishaani gave disgruntled looks to the three of them, before Ranveer muttered darkly.

"This is totally not cool." Martin gave Ranveer a brave smile before speaking in a heartfelt tone.

"And we have your backs as well."

* * *

**Phew! :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70: The Perfect Baby Shower**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! The next update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

**Ps. Happiest Birthday to you, Aarushi! :D :D This chapter is dedicated to you. :D**

* * *

Death and Fate sat idly at the table, staring away moodily, when the third seat was occupied by Love. Both of them gave her a surly look and silently brooding, while she pushed her long, auburn hair behind, giving the two of them a genial smile.

"Why so grumpy?" Death looked at her coldly, unable to remove the accusatory note from his voice.

"You know why. You hoodwinked _Him_!" Love cocked her eyebrows dispassionately and spoke haughtily.

"I _appealed_ to _Him_. He saw reason in my point, and changed the course of events. Why is it my fault?" Death waved his hand airily, clearly dismissing her statement. He spoke in a matter-of-factly tone.

"They were never meant to be. Their love is destructive."

"And because it is so, I know that they are meant to be." Death gave her an hopeless look and now rounded at the strangely quiet Fate.

"And I don't know why Fate was such a wuss." Fate gave Death an outrageous look, now speaking in a voice maintaining dignity.

"Hey, don't you involve me into this! I tried my best to resist, but _He_ overrode me and changed their fate!" Love smiled buoyantly at the bickering that ensued, now interrupting them with her silky voice.

"Don't look so upset, now. You know that the two of them deserve to be happy." Death glared at her angrily, but all Love did was shrug.

"Don't look so smug, Love. It's one decision that's been changed. It's not like me and Fate are going to walk away from them."

"It's not like you can do anything either. The two of you are bound by the new contract." Death shook his head in a pitiful manner as Fate dissolved into silence once again. Death gave her a meaningful look.

"Love, you are so naïve, it melts my conscience. You don't realize the power you bestow to people. Those two, amongst your lot of special pairs, are an explosive one. Trouble doesn't leave them anytime soon, and even if it does, they make sure to attract him back." Looking thoroughly disgruntled, Love now spoke in an impatient tone.

"Pfft, I expected better from you, Death. I thought you were a better sport." Fate finally raised his head up again, Death and Love instantly turning to look at him expectantly. Fate let out an exasperated sigh.

"As much as I regret entering into this conversation, and as much as I love being neutral, I do agree with Death here. Besides, we all know that there isn't a happy ending in the real world. And not remotely one for those two." Love disregarded this as well, as she glowed stronger.

"Say what you will, Fate, it doesn't change the fact. Besides, when Life and Trouble here are always entwined over here, how do you expect those souls to not be the same in the mortal world as well?" Fate rolled his eyes at her and gave up on the conversation entirely. Death smirked.

"It's pointless having this conversation with you." Love gave him an acid look, speaking passionately.

"It's your ego that's been bruised, so it is bound to hurt. But this is perfectly fine, given that you've done the same to me countless times, mercilessly separating people who love each other." Death couldn't help but glow mysteriously as well, his face wearing a pride now. He spoke in a relentless tone.

"Revenge, eh?"

"What's love without the spark of revenge?" Death cocked his eyebrows at her in a skeptical manner, while she gave him a triumphant look. Death spoke resentfully.

"I do not do anything without His consent and Fate. In fact, I practically never have a say in the same; I do what I'm told to do. It's only you who has the power to move and appeal to him. So don't fret." Love smiled dangerously, her beauty captivating Death and Fate suddenly.

"Call it a truce then." Fate looked at the two of them curiously while. Death and Love stared at each other deeply for a moment. Both of them smiled and shook hands while Fate heaved an audible sigh of relief. The other two took their seats back again, before Death spoke with the trace of a sneer.

"So, what are your love birds doing this morning?"

* * *

Ranveer stretched groggily as the bright sunlight streamed into the room, breaking his sleep instantly. Yawning softly, he turned to his side to see Ishaani fast asleep, a sweet smile on her face. He smiled goofily as he couldn't help but admire how much she glowed in the basking sunlight, and how divine she looked. Ishaani wrinkled her eyes sleepily after a few moments, yawning softly. She squinted her eyes open and saw Ranveer staring at her passionately. She grinned radiantly, pressing her face into the pillow. Ranveer ruffled her hair playfully and she giggled, squirming under his touch like a wriggling puppy.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Mm..."

"I've never loved anyone as much as I've loved you." Ishaani smiled sleepily, before taking his hand in her and put it on her now 7-month old bump.

"I love you too." Ranveer smiled as he felt the baby kick from within and he smiled notoriously.

"Looks like you're not the only one. We have a strong contender over here as well." Ishaani shook her head in mock-hurt and she slowly sat up upright, wincing slightly as she felt her back ache. Ranveer gave her a sympathetic look.

"It's only a matter of two months now."

"I know."

Both of them gave each other an emotional look, before Ranveer quickly slipped out from the bed and helped Ishaani up as well, a new excitement visible over his features now.

"Shucks, it's already 10! We'll be having the guests over here in two hours!"

"Relax, it's just my baby shower."

"It's your baby shower, for crying out loud! We need to get dressed quickly!" Before Ishaani could reply, both of them could hear Claudine yelling away instructions, along with a voice that was most certainly Falguni's.

"Great, we really need to get ready now."

Today was Ishaani's baby shower and the house experienced its usual din that it saw whenever it was a party at the place. The baby shower was to be a simple brunch party with Ranveer and Ishaani's closest friends coming. Martha, Martin and Claudine threw a surprise when they called Ranveer and Ishaani's parents for the same, the time when they broke the surprise about the baby shower plan, that was going to be a fusion of the Indian and western culture.

The expecting couple's parents were to stay with the couple for the next six months, being with them for the last trimester and for the next three months after the baby's birth. Sharman, Devarsh and Prateik were not going to come for the same due to their professional commitments, but a Skype call was sufficient for both Ranveer and Ishaani. This were not at their best yet with their families, but it was getting better nonetheless.

Finally ready after half an hour, Ranveer and Ishaani descended down the stairs and gasped. The entire house was once again magically transformed into a heavenly home, only this time, the entire place was filled with light coloured balloons and streamers, while a big banner was put up, with the writing that went on 'Baby Vagehla... Coming Soon!'. The party was themed in the pattern of a mystery baby, colours from both the genders visible, along with beautiful streaks of lavender and lilac as well.

Ishaani and Ranveer smiled broadly as the couple descended hand in hand, Claudine, Martha, Amba, Falguni and Baa meeting them by the steps. Ishaani went forward and hugged Claudine, doing the same with Baa, Amba and Falguni as well, before she exclaimed excitedly.

"God, this place looks... magical! You have outdone yourself this time!" Claudine gave her a flustered look, while the older three women gave the former an appreciative look. Falguni patted Claudine back affectionately.

"Yes, she has been a real dear, both herself, Martha and Mr. Martin."

"Oh, you are most kind, Mrs. Joshi, but all credit goes to Martin for the decorations." Ishaani looked around to notice him missing.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He's just setting up the marquee in the garden, along with Mr. Vaghela and Mr. Joshi. You didn't think that we would miss out on such an awesome day to have an outdoor brunch now, did you?" Ishaani gave her a delighted look, her face glowing and emitting a childish glee. Giving Claudine a bear hug, her bump severely obstructing their way, Ishaani exclaimed gleefully.

"You're the best!"

"Well, let's start up with the few rites that your family wants to carry out with. Ranveer, you come with me for a minute to the marquee. The guests should be here in another fifteen minutes."

Ranveer nodded his head and gave Ishaani a quick kiss before they headed outside the house, while Baa, Amba and Falguni made Ishaani sit on the sofa. Within fifteen minutes, the guests began filing into the house, Amba and Falguni welcoming them warmly.

Martin and Claudine had invited a close-knit group of thirty of the couple's closest friends who were more than thrilled to be a part of their happiness. Baa, Falguni and Amba started off the party with a few religious rites, the first being a small puja where Ranveer and Ishaani were redirected to the miniature temple in one of the rooms of the ground floor, following which, Ranveer was shooed out of the house and into the marquee.

This was succeeded with Claudine making Fred and George sit on Ishaani's lap so that she could get the feel of motherhood, before Ishaani was given a coconut, holding the symbolism of a child, which she had to maintain till her delivery. After it came the last rite, where all the family members and guests had to whisper blessings into her ears.

Baa and both the mothers went first, kissing her forehead and whispering blessing for a healthy and naughty child. Kailash and Nitin went on after them, followed by Martha, Martin and Claudine, the remaining women in the room doing the same. Ishaani looked up happily as the rite came to an end within half an hour, her face still crimson with all the flushed happiness.

She was about to get up when she froze halfway, her expression bizarre, her bump looking out of place. Ranveer, eho had just returned home from the marquee, looked worried, as he made his way up to her and made her stand uprirght, his attention solely focused on her.

"What happened? Did the water pipe burst? Say sonething!"

"Ritika."

"What?"

"It...it's Ritika. She's here! Ritika!" Ranveer looked towards the door to see Ritika standing over there, with four-year old Maira alongside her. Ishaani gave Ritika a broad smile and Ritika quickly covered the distance, giving Ishaani a huge hug.

The two friends stood like that for the next twenty years, both of them sobbing and crying out apologies to each other, making on the spot promises and amends to give their friendship a new try. Separating after an emotional twenty minutes, Ritika introduced Maira to Ishaani and both of them took an instant liking to each other.

Ritika looked at Ranveer, who gave her a cross look. Ritika gave him an apologetic look, before he hugged her, putting aside his resentment over the fact that Ritika had never told him of Ishaani being alive in those three years only because Ishaani glared at him angrily from over Ritika's shoulder. She gave him a sad smile before speaking softly.

"I know I have a lot to make up for. I can still hope for Ishaani to forgive me but not you." Ranveer gave her a guilty look, speaking now in a kow voice.

"I forgive you. I know that you just cared about me and didn't want to see me get hurt again." Ritika shook her head vehemently.

"We both know that it was the worst way to go about it."

"Ritika, please, we are past that phase. We are now heading towards a better future and I want you to be a part of it as well. So please, end the ceremony with your blessings." Ishaani gave Ritika a reassuring nod as she sat down again, while Ritika whispered in her ears in a heartfelt voice.

"I pray that you are always there for each other and that your child is the silver lining of your relationship." Ishaani smiled at Ritika as the latter kissed her forehead.

The party immediately burst into life as Claudine managed to get everyone settled once the rites that come to an end, and began with the introduction to the various rounds of games. Everyone cheered as the party continued with more vigour as various games proceeded the rites, the women in the party put on the warline, a raucous of laughter and chattering alongside.

Brunch was a happy affair in the bright daylight, all the guests asking about Ranveer and Ishaani's experience of the pregnancy, the couple obliging and telling the tale happily. Everyone clapped and whistled for them at the good points and gave shouts of laughter during times of need.

Brunch came to an end and Ishaani was ushered back into the house, along with the guests, while the former now started opening the gifts received for her shower. She excalimd happily as clothes and several different paraphernalia came out from the gifts, thanking everyone dearly.

After an hour, the banter around the place became lighter, and Ishaani and Ritika finally got to spend an hour catching up with each other, once the afternoon ascended steadily, a lazy atmosphere spreading in the air. Both of them chatted animatedly for three quarters of an hour, before Ishaani spoke in an awestruck voice.

"I'm really proud of you."

"Why?"

"You're a single mother and you've brought Maira up so well." Ritika beamed happily, as Maira chose that moment to come and sit un her lap.

"I'm just glad that I could do the best for her." Maira walked up to Ishaani and the latter gave her a kiss on her forehead. Maira smiled and ran off towards the marquee again.

"Do you plan on settling down anything soon?"

"No, not after what happened with Sharman. Besides, my only love is now my girl. My life is for her and I'm committed to my work. It's enough for me right now." The clock chimed 5 and Ritika quickly stood up, Ishaani doing the same, albeit slower.

"I think it's about time I left." Ishaani gave her a hug, before exclaiming sadly.

"Must you leave this early?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I have a flight to catch." Ishaani nodded her head and spoke warmly.

"Take care and do be in touch."

"You too. And don't worry, you will be a great mom. Because you already are one." Ishaani smiled happily and both the women hugged each other again. Ritika hugged Ranveer, Falguni and Amba and gave a benign smile to Claudine.

"Thank you so much for having me here. I couldn't be more grateful to the two of you." Claudine and Martin smiled, and Maira waved everyone goodbye as well. The guests left soon after, the party coming to an end graciously. The family members all tiredly gave the kids a hug before heading to their respective rooms to rest for a while, leaving behind Ranveer, Ishaani, Martin, Claudine and Martha in the living rooms, while the helpers cleared off the marquee.

"Claud, how did you manage to call Ritika?"

"You told me last month how muxh you wanted to meet Ritika. Fifteen days back, when I was going through the directories, I found Ritika's number in it. I gave her a call and told her about the baby shower. She was ecstatic and said that she was co-incidentally going to visit Vari after ten days on business. The timing was perfect."

"Thank you so much, all the three of you. This baby shower was perfect! You guys are amazing!" All the three of them blushed with pleasure, before Martha asked lovingly.

"Did you like it?"

"I loved it." Martha got up an kissed Ishaani's forehead, while Martin and Claudine gave Ranveer a side hug.

"Then that's all to suffice for us for now. It's only two months to go till we have our baby Vaghela soon enough."

* * *

**Phew! :D :D Sorry if this chapter is lame, for I have zero idea about baby showers. :P :P Special thanks for mas123 for helping me out here! :D ; D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :) :)**


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71: The Dawn of A New Era**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here's the next update. :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Ishaani looked at the clock in the corridor and sighed moodily. 6:25AM. She descended from the staircase only to meet Claudine below, looking at her worriedly.

"Still nothing?"

"Nothing! I've been walking from the last forty five minutes, but nothing! This is ridiculous!" Claudine gave Ishaani a sympathetic look while Ishaani fumed.

"Sit down, you've walked a lot."

"This is so unfair! You had twins within the stipulated period, why am I a week overdue?" Ishaani felt hot tears spring in her eyes and she angrily wiped them off. Claudine looked at Ishaani, a strong look on her face.

"Look, you are a strong girl, it's going to be okay. Besides, overdue cases are very common. It's alright." Ishaani seemed least convinced by this, and now tears left her eyes openly, in huge sobs.

"Claudine... I'm so scared! I... I don't know... my child... I... I don't know..."

"Is it kicking?"

"Yes... I felt one 15 minutes back."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. And stop crying, for crying out loud, you'll frighten everyone."

"I'm so frightened, Claudine. Seven months ago, back that night, I didn't bother about my life because I wanted to save Ranveer's life. I did not want my child to be fatherless in that moment... I did not want another Sebastien happening. I did not care about anything, but to save him. But in the hospital... when the doctor... I never felt my heart go so cold. If the doctors would have told me otherwise, I would have... have..."

"You're having nightmares now, haven't you?"

"Yes..."

"What about Ranveer?"

"He has them just the same. Those nights, we just sit the nights and he lets me cry. Sometimes, he cries as well. We only console ourselves by the fact that our baby kicks regularly. It would help us control our emotions. The nightmares claw at me, Claudine, they claw at me. I've been strong for both Ranveer and my child, but I don't know whether it's good enough."

"Now you look here," Claudine gave Ishaani a reprimanding look. "What you did back them wasn't wrong, although it was stupid. But you have got to let it slip away, or else you're going to ruin it for Ranveer and yourself, not to mention your child as well."

"I'm trying and trying, but it's not easy."

"You know, back when I was expecting Freddy and George, when I was estranged with Martin, that one month, my life was a nightmare. Several nights, I was so sure that Martin would call it quits, that he would no longer be abke to pull it off. I would be more concerned about Martin, for on the night of the confrontation, I stole away his armour of steel and left him at his most vulnerable. Do you know what I did during thise nights? I pulled on for the sake of my kids. I knew that they would help me see better, and found help me fight my way through this. And I was proved right. Not only did Freddy and George help me, but Martin as well. We still have nightmares, we still worry, but at the end, we know that we have two of our most prized treaures that will help us see the dawn, that will help us fight life. You and Ranveer need to keep the same faith up as well."

"Goodness knows you're right. I and Ranveer have been employing the same thing, but some times, it's too scary."

"Have you spoken to Ranveer about this? About what you've told me?"

"Yes... the night you and Martin told us that you were staying back. We initially made a pact not to talk about it, but we had barely made it to the room and we starting arguing over it."

"Well, that would explain that yelling fancies we could hear."

"Yes, it wasn't pretty. Ranveer was just as angry that I entered the library to save him, given that I wasn't in my best form. He was pretty mad about it, told me it was a moronic risk I took with the child."

"He isn't entirety wrong, but I think he understood you nonetheless."

"He always does. But I had my own share of angry retorts ready so well... we balanced it out."

"Do you feel a little calmer?"

"Yes... yes I do. God, what would have happened had you not been there?"

"Happy realization."

* * *

Ranveer and Ishaani sat in the dining room, Ishaani playing with her food idly. The house was quiet as all the remaining family members had gone to the park along with Timmy, leaving the house at the liberty of the expecting couple and Claudine. Fred and George were at their grandparent's place for the weekend. Ranveer could clearly see Ishaani's Ishaani jabbed at the chilli forcefully and Ranveer shook his head reproachfully.

"Sunny, leave it. You've had a lot of it."

"And it's still not working! Damn it, why isn't the water bag bursting?! Is it made of iron of something?" Ranveer bursted out into peals of laughter but sobered instantly at the murderous look on her face.

"Laugh as you will, Ranveer, this would be much less amusing had you been in my place." Ranveer gave her a guilty look before he chuckled nervously.

"Don't be unreasonable now, sweetie... you've been patient so far, it's just a little more."

"Easy for you to say." Ranveer gave her an apologetic look, before speaking uncertainly.

"There is another way as well..."

"No! You are not trying any sitcom show tricks on me!" Ishaani blushed furiously, but Ranveer couldn't tell whether it was out of anger or out of the enticing though, but either way, he decided to surrender.

"Alright, alright! I'm just saying..." Ishaani gave him a small smile before her features were contorted with pain.

"Ouch!"

"What?" Ranveer gave her a concerned look.

"Another kick. The baby keeps kicking, but doesn't want to leave." Ranveer got up and quickly walked over and sat on his knee, staring at Ishaani deeply.

"It's because it loves its home. You need to think about her."

"Her? You think it's a girl then?" Ishaani looked at him hopefully, her mind taken off her worry.

"You've been glowing radiant in these nine months."

"You're so corny." Ranveer gave Ishaani a sly smile and he could make out that Ishaani looked considerably cheerful as well.

"There's sauce there. Wait." Ranveer quickly wiped away the sauce from the side of her lips, his finger lingering on her cheek for some time. Ishaani gave him a soft look before she pulled him up and let him kiss her cheek softly.

He kissed her cheek lovingly, his lips slowly finding its way to her own, kissing them with a reassurance that everything was to be alright. Ishaani threw her eyes around his arms, letting Ranveer hoist her out from the chair.

Ranveer had barely lost himself into the mesmerising touch of her lips when he felt her body go stiff, and her lips parted from his abruptly. He gave Ishaani a confused look as Ishaani looked to her feet, shaking her shoulder slightly. Ishaani looked up again, a look of shock and excitement flushing through her face, her body shivering.

"I think my water bag just broke." Ranveer stared at her stupidly for a few minutes before Ishaani shook him in return.

"My bag just broke! It broke!" Ranveer seemed to have been shocked out of his stupor, and he gave her an excited look. But before he could say anything, Claudine came out from the kitchen, and stared at Ishaani curiously.

"What happened? Wait... did your bag just...?"

"Yes... yes!"

"What the hell are you two waiting for? Go! Go to the hospital now! I'll call your family and ask them to join us straight at the hospital. I'll bring all the necessary clothes and come over with Martha. Martin can join us in some time." Ranveer and Ishaani nodded as Claudine quickly called the driver to take the car out. Ranveer now supported Ishaani strongly, as she suffered from a long contraction again.

Ranveer made Ishaani sit in the car, the former quickly entering the car from the other side, as Ishaani gave out a moan of pain. Ranveer looked at her tensed, before she gave him a small smile through her pain. Ranveer spoke in a hypnotized tone.

"That's it, sweetie, we're going to have a baby."

* * *

Sixteen sleepless hours later saw Ranveer and Ishaani in the ward, the latter's hair plastered against her sweaty forehead as she stared about aggressively. Pain suddenly etched over every inch of her face as she suffered from another long contraction, a soft shriek leaving her lips. Rnveer sat beside her, taking Ishaani's hand in her own, while she stared at the wall hopelessly.

"Five women have had their babies so far! Five! And I've been rotting here since sixteen hours!"

"Honey, you're almost there!"

"Trust me, if that nurse comes back one more time and tells me that I haven't reached-" Before Ishaani could complete her threat, the doctor entered the room, following the nurse who kept regular tabs on her. The doctor smiled kindly.

"You've been doing great so far." Ishaani grimaced in return and she gave her a sympathetic look. Ranveer stared at the nurse anxiously. The doctor carried out her regular check-up before she spoke kindly. "Well, we'll be starting with the pushing now, I guess." Ishaani made to give an angry retort when she realized what the doctor just said, and stared at her wide-eyed.

"It... it's time?"

"Yes." The doctor shut the door behind her and the nurse stood beside her, the equipments now ready. "Dear, I'm going to need you to push now."

The air grew tense as the sky grew turbulent, the indigo sky now forcefully blending into navy blue and shades of pink. The sun fought to break apart through the horizon, as the room only echoed the pain of child birth, Ishaani shutting her eyes in excruciating pain, Ranveer having her hand within his, assuring her that he was there with her, that it was now a matter of time before her pain was rewarded.

The first rays of sun broke through the sky as the first cries of the baby now rented the room. Ishaani fell back on her pillow and sighed tiredly, her eyes still at the bundle in the doctors arms, Ranveer's attention in the same direction. The doctor looked up at the now-parents with an elated look on her face, as both of them looked at her expectantly.

"Congratulations, it's a girl. Eight pounds, perfectly healthy." The doctor smiled as she handed over the baby to the nurse, while she quickly cutting the umblical cord and cleaned up around her. Ranveer gave Ishaani a side hug and kissed her forehead lovingly, while she gave him a tired, yet radiant smile. The doctor gave the dazed parents a nod and left the room, while the nurse quickly cleaned up the baby and handed it over to Ranveer and Ishaani, who had just gotten up again.

Ishaani stared at the baby with stunned disbelief as tears left her eyes, her mind stunned with what now stood in her arms. Claudine always told her that the moment when her baby would be in her arms, her life would change forever, and in that moment, she knew that it had. In her hands was perhaps the most beautiful thing she must have ever seen in her life.

Wrapped in a blue towel, she could have only described their baby as God's angel. The experienced eyes of the nurse spotted the dumbfounded look on her face and she smiled. She had seen this look almost every single day in the last 15 years of her career and yet it never seemed to lose it's charm. The nurse walked out as well, leaving the couple with some privacy.

Ishaani handed Ranveer over the baby after she saw her to her heart's content. What Ranveer could only feel was his knees go weak. All that time, he had only anticipated this moment in his head several times, each time thinking about what would be his response to the news, sometimes comical, sometimes blank. But this time, it was really happening.

He felt his breath getting stolen away, as the baby's brown orbs stared back at his, staring at him curiously. Tears sprung up in his eyes, while he gently placed a light kiss on his baby's head. In that moment, he swore that he would always be there for his little girl like her shield, protecting her from all harm's way. He would be there for her no matter what, always holding her finger to show her the right path, always to help her out in all her difficulties. He would pamper her in all ways possible, be her best friend and pal. He felt his world revolve around her from that moment. _Always._

Handing her gently to Ishaani now, he sat by his seat solemnly, still in awe of what God had bestowed upon them in that moment. He couldn't take his eyes off her the entire time he sat there, exhausted due to lack of sleep, yet overwhelmed, as he saw the two most beautiful women right before his eyes; the two women he loved the most.

The dawn had broken out at last; along with the rise of a new era.

* * *

**Phew! :D Got this done finally!. :D :D**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D**


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72: The Closing Call**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D **

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

Life had finally turned over a new leaf for Ranveer and Ishaani. If people said that a baby girl brought luck and love into their life, they were clearly not mistaken. Ranveer and Ishaani could only dote over their baby ever since its arrival, everything else taking a backseat for them. It was as though there were hyptonized by the love they felt for their child, bewitched by the way she stared at them lovingly, and mesmerized with the innocence that she radiated.

The two new parents could rarely leave her company, and it was only grudgingly that Ranveer left for work every morning, eagerly waiting to be back home in the evening so that he could spend time with his angel. Their families were just as ecstatic at the arrival of the child, something that had truly broken away any remaining ice and had reunited them with their families again.

Martin and Claudine gave the family and the new couple their respective space in the next few days, but Ranveer and Ishaani made sure that they were around all the time, and they got just as much time to spend with the baby as everybody else. Martha dropped in everyday to see the new child, Ranveer and Ishaani looking forward to see the look of delight and emotion on her aging features as she played with the baby. Ranveer and Ishaani had named Martha the godmother of their child, the latter too stunned and overwhelmed by the same.

She had made to protest, talking about how she was an aging woman and how Martin and Claudine deserved the place, but the couple silenced her with spicy glares, Claudine and Martin doing the same as well. Fred and George took an extraordinary amount of fancy to the newest addition of the house, and so did Timmy. All the three of them couldn't help but get fascinated at what the baby did, and the three of them remained silent most of the time, simply goo-going or giggling at her happily. Timmy resorted to spending hours with her, staring at her soulfully.

The baby had her naming ceremony at the eighth day of her birth. She was named Natasha.

Natasha proved to be a very docile baby, for rarely cried, and always liked staring at everybody mischievously and happily. She particularly enjoyed the company of Fred and George, where the three of them would shriek and giggle in their own language, yet they understood each other perfectly. Timmy was the added bonus, and the four of them made a group amongst themselves.

Her grandparents' and great grandmother were just as delighted to have her around. It was as though somebody had smacked into them a new life, a new will to live. They not only gave their child their fullest attention, but did the same to Ranveer and Ishaani as well, and relationships hadn't been any more better in those next three months to follow. They bonded just as well with Martha, Martin and Claudine, and frequently voiced out their relief at the fact that their children had found such a good family.

Three months later saw the departure of their families from Greece, goodbyes much more tearful and sad than the last, yet there was a strange happiness at the same time. Their families promised to keep in touch, and spoke about how much they were going to miss them, Ranveer and Ishaani doing the same. But that wasn't the only departure in tow.

Within two days of the departure of their families, Ranveer and Ishaani bore witness to Martin and Claudine's departure from the house as well, along with Fred and George. The farewells here were much more aggrieved and painful, with everyone having tears brimming and flowing through their eyes, including the children and Timmy. They promised each other than they were to remain in regular touch and that they were to meet each other every weekend.

Greece had started stabilizing. The mayhem from a year ago had subsided, leaving behind in its wake a new and blooming Greece. Normalcy had returned back into the country, along with a new sense of security and purpose. The aggression and frustration amongst the masses had reduced; a newfound dedication finding its way into the minds and heart of the people.

A beautiful April sun glistened over the roads of 13, Priamou Street, as Ranveer walked towards the somber establishment of Neapolitan City with the same sense of purpose that he found in himself every time. He swung open the door of the library, to see it slightly emptier than its usual round of hustle and bustle. Martha sat on her usual desk, going through some recent copies of books deposited with her, and Ranveer walked up to her happily.

"And look who's here." Ranveer gave her a warm smile and spoke happily.

"Well, I came here to give you this. I wanted you to have this first, before the book was officially published in the market." Ranveer deposited the premier copy of 'Neapolitan City' on her desk and she gave him an overwhelmed look.

"So you decided to publish it then?"

"I had to take your advice. I spoke to the publication house, and they liked it. Said that it would make for a good read. So I decided to give it a shot." Martha gave him a radiant smile.

"So, how are my two favourite girls?"

"Ishaani is doing perfectly fine. She'll be coming with Natasha over here in another fifteen minutes. She's taken a fancy to trying out seven different outfits on her before she finally gets her ready completely." Martha laughed whole-heartedly and Ranveer gave her a sheepish smile.

"It's how mothers are. How are the two of you enjoying parenthood?"

"It's... surreal. It's so difficult to put it in words... sometimes, being a parent is demanding when you have to understand what your child wants, but eventually you learn to understand from the different type of noises and actions that she makes. Sometimes, I and Ishaani can stare at her sleeping for hours and hours and yet could go on like that forever. It's as though our relationship had found an entirely new meaning altogether, a new sense, a new silver lining."

"That's what a child does in a relationship."

"The moment we had her, the nightmares simply vanished. It's as though all our demons, all our fears faded away in the light of the glowing treasure that we were given. Our relationship has never been this smooth. It's as though our life has changed altogether, we have changed altogether as people. Changed for the better."

"So that means I won't be seeing the two of you in the library now."

"Martha, you know that's never going to happen. The two of us will always be borrowing and returning back the books every week on time." Martha and Ranveer shared a look of mutual understanding as the two of them remembered all the old times where they had several similar conversations. After a few moments, Martha asked softly.

"So you still don't tell me why you won't make a library in your house?" Ranveer gave her a knowing smile.

"I think you know the reason." Martha gave him a confused look, but Ranveer could see the glint clearly visible in her eyes.

"The only reason I've ever known as that you are the trustee of the library, you can keep giving visits as and when you wish."

"Yes, and I appreciate the perfectly coated sarcasm," said Ranveer cheekily and Martha chuckled appreciatively.

"It won't hurt to tell." Ranveer sighed, admitting the truth to her for the first time.

"I won't make a library because I want to keep coming here. This was the first place where I truly felt at home. This was the place that gave me a new life. This was the only place where I learnt to live and can on the tenterhooks of living, rather than simply surviving. I owe this place my life." Martha smiled at him genially, and opened the crisp copy of _Neapolitan City_ that sat before her eyes in a patience read the first two pages of the book and smiled.

"I see that you've dedicated this to all the people who have been a part of your life so far."

"The story wouldn't have been there without any of you. Every person we meet, good or bad, has had a role to play in our life."

"Touche. And I must say, this is very impressive." Ranveer gave her a soft smile, one which Martha reciprocated with the same intensity. After a few minutes, she spoke in a meaningful tone. "I knew it... that day, when I handed you the copy of _Wuthering Heights_, I knew that you sought to put an end to your misery. Ishaani saved you that day, didn't she?"

"Yes, she didn't know it back then, but she did. I did not know that it was her in the room with you, but her voice sparked a hope in me that I couldn't place. I decided to head home and give life another shot." Martha gave him a knowing smile.

"She's always been the one tethering you to life now, hasn't she?"

"Technically speaking, she's saved me five times so far. Back in India when I was shot, when I visited the fair where I thought I saw her. Back then, things were again at an all-time low for me and the thought that I saw her alive made me decide against it. Then back during our first unknown meeting two years ago, during my accident and then the riots." Martha gazed at him deeply, before she spoke in a strong voice.

"And I couldn't feel happier that your love stood against fate and beat it."

* * *

Fate scowled as the conversation below burned his insides. Love and Death stared at their companion and shared a look.

"Fate, stop staring at them like that," said Love, who was eyeing Fate with unnatural interest.

"They make me sound like a bad guy!" said Fate, who looked clearly stung by the remark mentioned. Death sniggered.

"No, they simply said that their love beat you," said Death maliciously, while Fate shot the former a nasty look.

"Yes, I heard them the first time, thank you very much," said Fate resentfully, gritting his teeth in the offender's direction. Death smirked at Fate, and Love gave him a warning look.

"Oh come off of it, the two of you," said Love in an exasperated tone, and the two of them contended themselves by glaring in opposite directions.

"Whatever," said Fate, fuming at the empty white space in front of him. Turning his attention towards Death, he spoke with a sneer. "And I'm surprised at you, _Death_. Given the way your ego was bruised seven months ago, you look indifferent now." Death gave Fate a superior look.

"Oh yes, that's because I _am_. I've moved on, you see. I've found another _endearing_ couple." Love gave Death a dangerous look, suddenly agitated.

"Death-"

"Oh come on, Love. I have to be after _someone_ now. Death is always in place of death. The two of them walked out of it, doesn't mean that others will." Love gave Death a bizarre look. "Their love is extraordinary," ended Death grudgingly, as he eyed Ishaani walking towards the library with the five year old child in her hand.

Fate, however, seemed to have been unaffected by the entire squabble between the other two. Looking in Death's direction, Fate now gave the former a jeering look.

"So basically, you've changed targets _because_ you don't want to be beaten again by the two of them." Death gave Fate a cold look, before speaking icily.

"I would simply say that I prefer following my contract, rather than sit with a sulky face. Get a new target, Fate. These two aren't the only ones among the seven billion homosapiens who are in love." Fate shrugged his shoulders moodily, while Love gave him an annoyed look.

"As much as I resent your target marking, Death, I pretty much agree on the latter part," said Love firmly, as Fate gave Love an irritated look. She, in turn, glowed brightly. Fate looked disoriented for a moment before he smiled at her slowly.

"Alright, if you say so." Shutting his eyes for a minute, he opened them and spoke in a harried tone. "I need to head to _Him_ now, see you two later." Love and Death both nodded at him and Fate made his way out of the room. Death shook his head in exasperation.

"You've got to stop with the glowing thing."

"You've got to stop taking offense at everything." Death smiled at her sheepishly.

"Touche. So, do you want to take a stroll about the area?" Love smiled gently, linking her arm around Death's.

"I'd love it."

* * *

Ishaani entered the library with five-month old Natasha in her hand, who looked about the library with bright interest, her brown eyes taking in her surroundings, given that it was the first time that the couple had brought her to the place. Ishaani had finally made Natasha wear a royal blue dress that went beautiful with her milky complexion, along with a matching hat. Anybody who took a look at Natasha could easily say that she had inherited the best from both of her parents.

Her face at the soulful eyes of her father, while she undoubtedly inherited the button-nose and her rosy and milky complexion from her mother, along with the chubbiness. She was a very quick learner and a keen observer like her father, and as talktative as her mother could be, along with an excellent tantrum-thrower. She knew how to keep everyone on their feet around her, and was an excellent receptor to all the love and affection that she was showered with.

Martin and Claudine were her favourite people amongst from the usual household, who she looked forward to seeing every weekend. She would specifically bring her favourite toys and put them around Martin and Claudine and make them play with her for an hour, before she decided to play with the twins and Timmy. Apart from the two of them, Martha was her next best person, who she loved spending time with for hours. It was more than once that she put up a good crying chaos in the house when Martha had to leave for her home.

But nobody could deny the fact that as much as she was naughty and mischievous, she was just as much of an angel and dear as she looked to be. Ranveer couldn't help but notice the innocence that her eyes mirrored to them, neither the fact that she could love anyone as much as she wanted to be loved by people she loved.

Ranveer smiled at his daughter dearly, as Ishaani handed her over to Martha first. The latter planted a big kiss on the baby's head before handing her over to Ranveer, who now took Natasha around the library for a stroll. Martha looked at Ishaani, who had returned back to her exquisite combination of blouses and pantaloons, and spoke in an awe-struck voice.

"Ishaani, you look stunning. Becoming a mother has had no effect on your features whatsoever." Ishaani gave Martha a glowing look.

"To be honest, I did put on quite a lot of weight, but running around behind this little tyke brought me back to normal." Martha gave Ishaani a huge hug and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Congratulations on the book." Ishaani gave Martha a grin.

"All credit goes to you." Martha gave her a benign smile and both the woman stared at Ranveer, who was playing with Natasha near the Adventure section, an endearing happiness on his face. "I've never seen him this happy ever."

"Neither have I. I always thought that Ranveer was completely filled with love, that he could love no more. But once Natasha was born, I clearly knew that I was mistaken. He hasn't loved anyone as much as he loves her. She is his life and soul."

"She can't be his soul, because that's you. Although, I can say that a part of both of your souls reside in her."

"True enough." Ishaani and Martha gave each other a mutual look of understanding, before Ishaani spoke softly.

"Ranveer, I think it's time we headed back home. Martin and Claudine should be there anytime." Ranveer looked at her and smiled broadly, while Ishaani turned towards Martha. "You need to come over by 1."

"Definitely." Martha gave Ishaani a broad smile as the latter walked up to Ranveer and Natasha. Ranveer handed the girl over to her and Ishaani smiled.

"Did you like it?" Natasha gave her a smile and nodded her head eagerly. Ranveer gave Ishaani a smile and spoke to Natasha lovingly, giving the library a fond look at the same time.

_"Good, because this was where it all began. This was where we wrote our story again; where it all worked for us all over again. This is where it ends now, where our ultimate refuge lies."_

* * *

**Phew! I finally reached the closing call :) :)**

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


	73. Chapter 73

**Epilogue**

* * *

**A/N: Hey there everyone! As i promised, the surprise is here. The final update is here! :D :D**

**Happy Reading! :D :D**

* * *

The sun caressed his face, the grass crunched beneath the pressure of his feet, and the wind welcomed him with a pleasant gusto as Ranveer walked straight over the grassy patch near the lake side, a broad smile on his face.

Behind Harry, the entrance to the marquee revealed four rows of fragile golden chairs set on either side of a long gap left between. The supporting poles are entwined with white and gold flowers, along with boganvillas and lavender. Butterflies and bees were hovering lazily over the grass, while the birds chirped merrily, the sun making everyone bask in its warmth.

Mr. Ambrose stood right at the center of the pillars, Martin standing beside him on one side, Claudine on the other. Ranveer's and Ishaani's family members sat in the rows, everybody excluding Disha, but with the inclusion of Ritika and Shikhar. All of them were dressed in their best outfits, their faces radiant and jubilant. Fred, George, Natasha, Aditya and Maira sat in the first row, Timmy sitting with them, looking at the proceeding with utmost interest.

Seven year olds Aditya and Maira sat keenly, observing everything with genuine interest, enjoying themselves to the fullest in the warm, springy day that the month of may provided. The day was perhaps one of the best spring days, the sun mild but not hot, the wind pleasantly sailing through. Aditya sat in a miniature grey suit, while Maira wore a floral blue dress, that resembled the clear blue skies.

On the other hand, two and a half year olds Fred and George on the other hand sat in an identical, tradition miniature tuxedo, looking smartly around the place, nosy enough to know everything that was happening, finding for chances to create more mischief. After being reprimanded by their mother several times, the two boys finally gave up, and went and took seats on either side of Natasha and Timmy.

One and a half year old Natasha sat in the middle of the first row, wearing a brilliant black and white frock, that made her glow in the bright sunlight, making her look like an eternal beauty. She had a matching hat on her hair, that shielded her eyes from the sunlight, making her look coquette. Timmy sat in the chair beside her, a black bow on his furry neck, and a matching black hat on his head. He looked around happily, noticing what everyone was doing, barking every now and them, trying to paw at the passerby butterflies overenthusiastically, knocking off his hat several times, before Martin warned him not to, and he sat back just as dolefully as the twins.

Ranveer now stood beside Martin, taking in the entire scene before with childish greed. A tripod had been kept to record all of the footage of the day, a gift that he knew that he would cherish forever. He looked at Martin enthusiastically and the latter smiled, his cornflower blue eyes gleaming merrily in the sunshine. Both of them sported a traditional tuxedo, that shone brilliantly in the serene atmosphere. Claudine glowed in a golden knee-length dress that went beautifully with her auburn hair, which was pulled up into a bun for the occasion. Her hazel eyes looked vibrant with joy.

Everybody had looked forward to this day for a very long time and it had arrived at long last.

The lake had its usual charm of peace and tranquility in spite of so many people, yet the atmosphere was electrically charged. Ranveer remembered all the moments that he had spent with Ishaani under the same sky, enjoying the glory of Mother Nature, losing themselves into a solitude that only made them love life more. They had seen good and bad over there, but Ranveer knew that this was the best place where they could reunite again, where they could get married again.

Ranveer had barely come out from his long chain of thoughts when his eyes fell over the miniature figures who were only growing in size by the passing minute. And even though he was more than prepared for what he was going to see, he felt the grassy earth get knocked out from below his feet in that moment as Ishaani came before his view wholly.

Ishaani stood before him in a gorgeous white gown that flowed behind her, the upper blouse richly decorated with lace, while her gown was cut in a backless-diamond shape with dignified beauty. Her gown was a halter-neck, the rich net lace draping her neck just as stunningly, while it remained a sleeveless gown. Ishaani had pulled her hair up in a back-combed crown, her hair curled perfectly from below, while a tiara sat perched on her head, along with a veil.

She walked up to him, looking no less than the fairy that he first knew her to be, her arm linked with Nitin's. He beamed in her company in an elegant, three-piece navy-blue suit, a spring in his step, which made him look several years younger. Coming to a halt, he kissed Ishaani's forehead lovingly, before he took a seat beside an already-emotional Falguni, while Ishaani now walked up to Ranveer, a mesmerizing look on her face.

She finally reached Ranveer, who had raised his palm out to her, and let him lead her right opposite him. Mr. Ambrose, who was going to officiate the wedding, smiled at the two of them, clearing his throat slightly as the couple were lost into each other's eyes. The couple snapped out of their reverie and blushed crimson, everyone chuckling at their coyness, particularly the five kids who roared immoderately. Timmy boomed happily.

"We are gathered here today to re-unite two most loving souls we can come across; two people who could not be better suited than with each other."

"I'd like to say something." Mr. Ambrose nodded his head at Ranveer, who looked at Ishaani soulfully. Beaming with the strength of the sun, he spoke in a soft voice. "I don't need to tell you how I fell in love with you or how much you matter to me, because I know that you know it all. All I want to tell you today is thank you. Thank you for being there with me in all the moments, physically or simply as a stroke of inspiration. Thank you for sharing your life with me, for loving me and trusting me the way you do. thank you for giving me Natasha," he gave his girl a little look who was staring at them inquisitively, before turning back to look at Ishaani. "All I want to promise you today is that we will see life together, we will fight it together. I promise to love you and care for you even more so than I do now, in all health and sickness. I want to grow old with you, bask in the warmth of your heart and the innocence of your soul. You are the dawn to my darkness, the nectar in my life, the happiness to my sorrows and the soul in my heart. I love you, Ishaani, and I will always continue to do so. Always. "

Ishaani looked at him intently, before she spoke softly.

"I would like to say something as well." Mr. Ambrose nodded his head as Ishaani spoke. "All this time, you've spoken about how you fell in love with me when I was 7. Today I want to tell you the same. The first time I saw you, I saw not before me a boy alone, but a boy with a golden heart, a boy who could make me smile through all my griefs, who always gave me the strength to fight life when I was weak. I saw a boy who was my greatest, and perhaps only friend, who never stopped caring and loving me no matter what. I had the fortune of falling in love with you, and of holding your heart within my own, as well as your soul. I promise to be there for you when you fall, to hold your hand as we see things through, to be your support when we grow old, and to wake up every morning to the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. You are the rock to my ship, the sunlight to my horizon, the beats of my heart. There is no stopping my love for you, something that has already outshone itself into eternity. I love you, Ranveer, and I hope to love you more with every passing day. Always."

"You can exchange the rings now." Ranveer took the ring that was handed out by Martin, and smiled at Ishaani, while Claudine did the same to Ishaani. Both of them held the rings in their hands before Ishaani put forward her left finger and Ranveer slipped the dove ring on, speaking at the same time.

"Together forever, never apart." Ishaani smiled as the ring comfortable sat on her finger after nearly two years, the quote that Ranveer had just spoke now engraved on the inside of the ring. She slipped the ring on Ranveer's finger, speaking the next half of the statement.

"Maybe in distance, but never in heart." Ranveer smiled at her effortlessly, as he adjusted his old ring on his finger, the new quote that Ishaani had just recited a part of his ring as well. Both of them smiled before Ranveer spoke firmly.

"Till death do us apart."

"Till death re-unites us again." Mr. Ambrose smiled at them happily as he asked next.

"Do you, Ranveer Vaghela, take Ishaani Vaghela as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Ishaani Vaghela, take Ranveer Vaghela as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Mr. Ambrose rubbed his hands excitedly.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Athens, I now pronounce you man and wife, again."

Ranveer and Ishaani smiled at each other as they kissed each other gently, letting the atmosphere of the warm spring get them, as Ishaani her arms circle Ranveer's neck, while the latter's arms remained around her waist protectively. Breaking apart after what Ranveer could have sworn were several sunlit days, both of them gave each other a lovong look, before cheers, whistles and applauses rented the air.

Both of them smiled and walked ahead, letting everyone throw flowers on them as a shower of confetti fell over them. They hugged all of their family members turn by turn and Ranveer took Natasha in his arms, so excitedly cooed 'Dada!' Ranveer kissed the bridge of her nose and handed her over to Ishaani, who hugged her daughter happily, hearing her squeak 'Mama! Mama love Dada! Dada love Mama!" Ranveer and Ishaani looked at each other emotionally before they put her down and hugged the other overecstatic kids and Timmy.

Before they knew it, he rows of chairs were now quickly pulled around the tables that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, while everyone settled down quickly.

Ranveer led Ishaani to the center for the first dance of the evening, everybody making up couples, leaving only Manas, Shikhar and Baa on the table, along with the toddler kids and Timmy. A general reception party was to be held in the night, but for now, everyone enjoyed the soft, lazy atmosphere at the lake as they saw the birds flying and twittering, while a pair of swans lazed at the bank peacefully.

Sharman quickly changed the song so that it was now a soft romantic song that played, as Ranveer pulled Ishaani right to the center of the area, putting his arm on her waist lovingly, Ishaani interlocking her fingers within his, her other arm on his shoulder. They stared at their happy friends and family members, their own hearts feeling satiated.

They swayed softly as 'A Thousand Years' played in the breezy air, the lyrics enveloping them in its own melody, looking at each other with the same passion as always.

_Heart beats fast_  
_ Colors and promises_  
_ How to be brave?_  
_ How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_  
_ But watching you stand alone,_  
_ All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow._

_"_Those swans are still here." Ranveer siled as he looked overhead and saw the swans lazing about on the banks together.

"They kinda mark our love its own way now, don't they?"

_ One step closer_

_"_I couldn't agree more," said Ishaani, chuckling. Ranveer twirled Ishaani, taking her back into his arms after a couple of turns. Ishaani continued. "It feels so pleasant today, doesn't it?" Ranveer smiled in understanding as he spoke happily.

"We are bound to feel that way. We finally completed our story. We finally got married again."

_ I have died every day waiting for you,_  
_ Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you,_  
_ For a thousand years_  
_ I'll love you for a thousand more._

"You know, those vows, I really did mean every single word of it." Ishaani stared at Ranveer deeply, her eyes welling up for a moment, before she spoke softly.

"I meant them too." Ranveer smiled, as they could feel each other's hearts beating with palpable excitement, a slight shiver passing over their skin, leaving them with goosebumps. Ranveer now turned Ishaani so that the latter now backed him.

_ Time stands still_  
_ Beauty in all she is,_  
_ I will be brave_  
_ I will not let anything take away_  
_ What's standing in front of me,_  
_ Every breath_  
_ Every hour has come to this._

"I'm glad that we finally got a shot at a normal life," Ranveer turned her back, letting the fragrance of strawberry coming from her hair warm his heart. Both of them now hugged each other and let the other's warmth make them feel alive.

_One step closer_

"Made for a very good change for once." Ishaani spoke softly. The chorus began once again, but Ranveer and Ishaani had now reached their usual world of tranquility, obliterating everything from around them.

_ I have died every day waiting for you,_  
_ Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you,_  
_ For a thousand years_  
_ I'll love you for a thousand more._

_"_I need to tell you something." Ishaani contemplated telling him from some time, but she had finally made up her mind. Ranveer looked at her as he sensed her nervousness.

"What?" Ishaani took a deep breath, speaking anxiously.

"I'm pregnant." Ranveer looked stunned at her, his jaw dropping slightly.

"What?"

_ And all along I believed I would find you,_  
_ Time has brought your heart to me,_  
_ I have loved you for a thousand years_  
_ I'll love you for a thousand more._

"I'm pregnant." Ranveer stared at her blankly for a few minutes, before a huge smile broke out over his stunned features.

"I can't beilieve it. Wow! Another baby... our baby!" Ishaani smiled at him happily, as Ranveer now danced happily once again, both of them catching rhythm again.

_ One step closer_  
_ One step closer_

_ I have died every day waiting for you,_  
_ Darling don't be afraid I have loved you,_  
_ For a thousand years_  
_ I'll love you for a thousand more._

"So, you on terms with this, right?" Ranveer nodded his head, speaking in an awestruck tone.

"And I thought this day could not get any better." Ishaani shrugged her shoulders, speaking in a playful tone.

"Our life is full of surprises now, isn't it?" Ranveer smiled at her as he planted a kiss on her forehead, the last chorus playing vibrantly.

_ And all along I believed I would find you,_  
_ Time has brought your heart to me,_  
_ I have loved you for a thousand years_  
_ I'll love you for a thousand more._

_"If you ask me, it's perfect."_

* * *

**Phew! :D :D This is not goodbye, not really.**

**But I would like to thank ech and everyone of you from the botton of my heart for being so loving and supprotive of my writing right from the start and for praising me and pampering me the way you all have done. :D This journey have been just as much of an extraordinary one for me as much as it has been for all of you and this is indeed the most special story I've ever written. I have found great friends over here and you all have been a very special part of my life. **

**I love you all and hope you all keep smiling the way you are, hoping that the show doesn't depress you any more. **

**Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :) :)**


	74. Chapter 74

**Top 20 Trivia Facts**

* * *

**A/N: Het there everyone! :D :D I know it's been ages since I've last been here, but I've been busy. :D :D**

**Then what brings me here today?**

**As I'd promised earlier, I'm here to present some fun trivia facts about NC, but future-verse as well as directly related with the FF itself. :) :) So, here goes!**

* * *

1\. Ranveer and Ishaani have another girl, who was named Shanaya. Martin and Claudine were named her godparents.

2\. Cathy Aubergine, who founded Neapolitan City, was also Martha's mother-in-law.

3\. Claudine and Martin adopt a new-born baby girl, and name her Celia.

4\. Disha eventually returns back to Manas and Aditya. Even though the two of them are still divorced, both of them now share equal custody of the kids, and are now on cordial terms.

5\. Ritika did not ever get committed. However, she and Sharman got back on cordial terms and now, the former pays her and Maira a visit once in every three months.

6\. Ranveer and Ishaani moved to a luxurious four-bedroom condominium after Shanaya, because they felt the house too big and empty without anyone else apart from them. They now live in Naxou, and are content with their kids and Timmy. Ranveer made sure to have the Iron Mon robot stand guard outside, in spite of Ishaani's protests.

7\. Ranveer, Ishaani, Martin, Claudine and Martha meet every Saturday night at the mansion, where they spend time and reminiscize about the good, old days and get to catch up on their current lives.

8\. Martin still calls Ranveer and Ishaani as 'Monsieur' and 'Madame', and still feels awkward to sit around them as an equal, even though he is now an accomplished economic analyst and part-time lecturer for seminars. Claudine didn't return back to the hospital, but instead became a professor at the Vari University, once the kids got older. Her subject expertise being on the theory of memory repression, conducting more detailed researches on the same.

9\. Ishaani has still maintained the three promise rings that Ranveer had gifted her, and has now stored them in the box where she stored her most treasured items. Ranveer, on the other hand, wears both the rings on each of his ring finger.

10\. Ranveer and Ishaani gave one set of the latter's wind chimes to Martin and Claudine as their housewarming present, while Ranveer's set of wind chimes now lie outside the bedroom of their kids.

11\. The Parekh and Vaghela families are now on terms, and their relationship with the couple is pleasant, without anybody interfering in the other's lives. The families visit the couple once in a year, either in Greece or the couple going to India.

12\. Neapolitan City has not seen a day of closure since it recommenced post the fire.

13\. Ranveer suffered from two months of post-traumatic stress disorder and seven months of night terrors till Natasha's birth. He also has a scar on his temple from the night of the fire, along with one on his back, to accompany those on his left shoulder and chest.

14\. Ranveer published the second part of Neapolitan City post his re-marriage with Ishaani, putting the two-part novel to an end, it being received with stunning response. The second part of the novel was also Ranveer's marriage gift to Ishaani.

15\. Martha has been managing the library on her own feet once Ishaani left. The latter however, occasionally drops visits once in two weeks when time permits her and helps Martha sort out her accounts.

16\. Ranveer and Ishaani gifted Martin a dog of their own on his birthday (which is on the 13th of April), after he desired a wish of adopting the same. The dog is a beagle named 'Seville'. He and Timmy are the latest friends in town.

17\. Martin and Claudine married on the same day as the latter's birthday. (22nd of June)

18\. Ishaani has still kept her copy of Hamlet, and both the parts of the hand-written manuscript of Neapolitan City in her bedside drawer.

19\. Aditya is born on the 4th of August, Maira on the 11th of September, Fred and George are born on the 27th of January, Natasha is born on the 9th of November, Shanaya on the 10th of January, and Celia on the 3rd of March.

20\. Even thought the couple were not aware about this, when Ranveer and Ishaani married for the second time, the two of them were locked in a dual bond of elemental union. The first time they married, they did so with the element of fire, and the second time, with the direct presence of natural earth, air, ether and water at the lake. Also, Ranveer and Ishaani advanced every step of their relationship under a different element. (the promise ring in the park, signifying earth; the proposal on the air balloon signifying air and ether; the marriage proposal in their garden with the fire lamps signifying fire; and their immediate marriage at the lake signifying water.) It may sound a little crazy, but I've been working on this theory since Chapter 15 and it is why I specifically chose for those events.

* * *

**I hope this was fun! :D :D In case you guys want to know anything more, feel free to ask! :D**


End file.
